Disappointed over reduced publication schedule

When my husband, Jim, and I moved to Benicia last year, one of the first things we did was subscribe to the Benicia Herald. We were delighted that the local paper was published almost daily (five days a week). Now our beloved paper will reduce its published schedule to three days/week in August. Unless we are mistaken, this decision was made with zero community input.
We tell the truth when we say that the Benicia Herald helped us find a wonderful community of friends. Announcements and articles in the Herald led us to various writers’ groups that meet regularly. Jim is an accomplished writer of books and novellas, and I am a poet whose work is starting to get published. Through the Herald, we were introduced to Benicia Literary Arts and events held at the library. Over this past year, we have developed a warm social circle through our shared interests, and it happened primarily due to your newspaper.
We know that we would gladly increase our three-month subscription rate of $16.50 for a five-day-a-week publication, but there has been no notice that increased subscription rates would help retain the rate of publication. (Nor have we been informed that subscription rates will be lowered as a result of receiving fewer papers. If so, we will be saddened if this also reduces the income of our incredible, always-on-time newspaper delivery person, Clinton Phillip.)
We can only guess that advertising revenue must be where the money shortfall is serious.
No matter what the fiscal problems are, we are curious as to the lack of outreach to residents. Have there been notices in NextDoor alerting our community to this upcoming lack of local news? What about fliers in the Public Library? Community meetings to discuss the problems that the paper is facing? If more subscriptions or higher subscription rates would help, let us know! Have there been notices to all local businesses that their ads will be viewed fewer times each month if they don’t step up?
As a poet who has become friends with our current and former poets laureate and many other outstanding writers in our town, I have to say I personally am dismayed at the reduction in outreach for our thriving literary community.
We would love to retain the frequency with which our local newspaper is published. Don’t we, your loyal readers, have a say?

Becky Bishop White,
Benicia

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