Richmond Times-Dispatch print subscriptions decline as cost rises to $1,430 annually

The Richmond Times-Dispatch disclosed its subscription numbers in Friday’s edition of the newspaper, as is mandated by law to receive discounted postage rates.

The news outlet reported 18,129 print subscribers and 22,291 digital subscribers as of June 8.

While print declines are a reality for virtually all publishers in the current climate, the Times-Dispatch also reported a decline in digital subscribers for a second consecutive year.

In 2022 the newspaper reported about 37,000 print subscribers, down from more than 100,000 in 2012. Print media struggles are a national trend, and the Times-Dispatch’s numbers mirror those being reported by similar outlets across the country.

The RTD’s parent company, Lee Enterprises, has reduced printing to three days a week in a number of its markets, with delivery by postal carriers. A Lee representative did not respond to a request for comment.

In Friday’s filing, the Times-Dispatch listed the cost of a delivered daily subscription to the print newspaper as $1,430 a year.

The company added a $4.99 monthly fee earlier this year, citing “rising operational costs due to inflation and global tariffs.”

Lee Enterprises reports subscription numbers on its corporate tax filings as a combined number, adding print and digital customers.

In 2013, it reported 48,807 combined subscribers in Richmond, while last year the number dropped to 46,896.

The tax-filing number is reported in September, and the federal disclosure tracks numbers in August, so the 40,420 subscribers listed in Friday's paper don't represent a straight apples-to-apples comparison.

Contact Michael Phillips at mphillips@richmonder.org.

Note: The author of this article previously worked at the Times-Dispatch.