Your print newspaper transitioning to paid

As a valued subscriber, you have been receiving the print version of the Laker Pioneer in your mailbox every week for free. We hope that you have found it to be a valuable resource. Now we need your support.

After Aug. 6, you will need to purchase a subscription, at a greatly reduced rate, to continue receiving all the news and information about your community.

Why is this happening now? Quite honestly, the COVID pandemic slammed the brakes on a lot of changes in our society, and transitioning this paper to a paid subscription model was one of those planned changes that has been delayed, for almost three years now. In addition, newspapers across the country have been going through great change in the last decade and the significant support we once received from many advertisers is not as robust as it once was. We are forever grateful for all the advertising relationships and the important revenue that was provided, as well as the voluntary donations from readers, but it is no longer enough to sufficiently offset the cost of providing a paper to you at no charge. Big box retailers, social media, and numerous businesses emphasizing digital marketing have reshaped the landscape and taken a toll on our traditional revenue. For many newspapers, these changes have translated to closure.

And so we have reached a crossroads. We could become a news desert or continue to bring you valuable local journalism. We have chosen the latter, but your paid subscription support is needed.

We hope you agree that local news and information are important. Telling the stories of your remarkable neighbors, capturing that once-in-a-life-time photo of a high school athlete competing in sports, reporting on your city council or school board, and not being afraid to ask difficult questions of those same elected officials when something doesn’t smell quite right only happens when objective journalism is supported.

Minnesota has lost numerous newspapers in the last 20 years, roughly 1/4 to be exact, according to the Minnesota Department of Economic Development. And 70 percent of journalists are no longer employed.

When a community loses a newspaper, it loses a voice. It loses that objective perspective. It loses some of its identity. And those who see transparency as an obstacle to getting more deals done at the city, school, or county level have nobody holding them accountable.

But your support of the newspaper keeps all of that intact.

So what do you need to do? We will be reaching out via this print publication, U.S. Mail, online, through email, and social media, explaining the easy steps you can take to start your subscription. Please consider supporting your local newspaper with that paid subscription.

If you take advantage of our early lock-in rate, you will receive an extraordinary rate that will carry you through for three years. Yes, $72 will get you three full years of the paper (that’s just $24 per year) and access to our online content, but you need to take advantage of this exceptional offer now.

There are many ways you can subscribe:

•Fill out the in-paper form in the print edition of Laker Pioneer.

•Go to our website and click on “subscribe” and be sure to include the promo code: F2P

•Respond to the U.S. Postal mail message we send you in the days ahead.

•Respond to any of the emailed messages we send about subscribing.

If you have any questions related to this change, you can also reach us at 763-712-3544 or by emailing us at servicecenter@apgecm.com .

A lot of change happens in this world, but our continuing commitment to you is our promise to remain deeply committed to local journalism that matters. Now, we need your support to continue that work.