MEDFORD, Ore. — The newspaper in Medford, Oregon, will cease print publication on Sept. 30.
The Mail Tribune says it will move to an all-online format beginning in October.
“I made a commitment to the Rogue Valley to keep a printed newspaper as long as we could break even. We eclipsed that a long time ago,” owner and publisher Steven Saslow, who bought the newspaper five years ago, said in a story posted to the paper's own website.
Saslow said printing and delivery costs for the newspaper were threatening the business. The paper's website gets 1.8 million to 2.3 million views per month, he added, and the number of online readers is about three times higher than the number of print readers.
The Medford Mail was founded in 1888. It merged with the Medford Daily Tribune in 1909.
The Mail Tribune had already gone from printing the newspaper seven days a week to printing four days per week, although it has continued to publish content online daily.
Saslow said the partial transition means that print viewers have already grown accustomed to reading the paper online on the off days.
“I’m sure a lot of people will be unhappy. People like me and older grew up with a physical newspaper,” he said.
The transition will involve laying off about 15 people involved in printing the paper, according to the Mail Tribune, along with about 40 independent newspaper delivery contractors. The company's remaining staff, including the newsroom and advertising department, will be about 40 to 50 people.
