Brattleboro no longer prints newspapers.
Neither the Commons nor the Reformer prints their papers in Brattleboro. I found this out after a reader asked if any papers were printed in town and I asked a few questions.
For over a century The Reformer and many other papers were printed in Brattleboro. With active news and book presses running around the clock, Brattleboro was a printing town.
Earlier this year a corporate (ie, non-local) decision was made to move the printing of the Reformer to Pittsfield, MA. where sister publication the Berkshire Eagle is printed. This follows consolidation trends in the newspaper industry.
One side effect of printing a paper over an hour away is that deadlines for stories get shifted earlier. Breaking news in the evening might have to wait an extra day before it can get out to readers.
The Reformer retains a crew to do some commercial printing.
perhaps...
Yes, many newspaper are consolidating their printing operations as there have been tremendous advancements in the printing industry in the last 10 years.
I think you might be exagerrating the deadline issue. With the use of computers for set-up, the printers can change content right until they push the button to print. They even can change it while it is printing, for really late breaking stuff. But alas, many newspaper offer subscriptions for the paper that includes web content. So providing you have a computer , you’ll always have up to date news.
I just started subscribing to my local newspapers after a number of years without it. The first thing I notice, is the paper doesn’t have as many pages as in the past. Not as many articles in print, but I find resources have been allocated to delivering more web content. As a result, my local paper offers much more international news than in the past.
Granted , it mostly wire service stuff, but it works. I see the Refortmer has updated their website recently.
Our local paper’s website also has a feature where once a week local musicians do a live webcast performance. Pretty cool I say!
Digital Delivery?
Don’t they send the printer a digital file? Are there even any printers in Bratt that could do newspapers?
Not in Brattleboro, but ...
For the vast duration of our history, The Commons has been printed at the Keene Sentinel.
It might not be in Vermont, but it’s a few minutes away over the river and, more significantly, is a family-owned daily newspaper (a rarity in this age) with its own long history and local commitment. They could not be kinder to or more supportive of us.
Jeff Potter
Editor, The Commons
Local Electrons
Isn’t iBrattleboro printed in Brattleboro?
The Commons
To elaborate on what Jeff reported here, The Commons has always, deliberately, been printed as locally as possible. For the first few years, we headed out to a small printer in Bennington each month. When our needs outgrew their abilities, we switched to the Keene Sentinel – still “local” in my book – and we have had a good supportive relationship with them since then. They recognize the importance of community newspapers and locally-owned independent media.
Alas, printing here in Brattleboro does not seem to be an option anymore, as Chris noted.
Local electrons are good, though.
Brattleboro Reformer
The thing I really don’t understand about the Reformer is why it is so full of typos. They must have spell check, which would catch most of the errors and for those that spell checkers don’t catch…then what about Proofreaders or an Editor who signs off on final versions of stories? I know this is off topic from the thread about “where” the Reformer is printed, I do think it is too bad it is not printed here in town.
Down in the Pitts
I hope iBrattleboro never moves to Pittsfield, MA! If it did, that would really be pitti-ful!