Clinton Courier Will Cease Printing in September

The Clinton Courier has announced that starting in September, they're going in a new direction and will no longer be printing their paper.  According to owners Emily and John Howard, they have decided to retire the publication to make way for a new email newsletter service to be called The Signal.

“It’s a financial decision, but also a decision that reflects the changing times and trends,” said Emily Howard, publisher of The Courier. “People are consuming media differently now and it’s clear with the numbers we are seeing. We need to stay competitive.”

The Clinton Courier name will also be going away.  The new service, which was named “The Signal” in honor of The Courier’s original title in 1846, will be a daily letter delivered to subscribers for free. Each letter will feature original writing and news coverage, as well as links to stories other area outlets are covering that day.

The Howards received inspiration for the idea of a local, daily newsletter by similar services like theSkimm, the Politico Playbook and writer and actress Lena Dunham’s new Lenny Letter, which have been gaining popularity nationally and internationally.

The Signal will continue covering the Clinton and Kirkland municipalities, as well as the greater Mohawk Valley region as a whole. Daily letters are expected to also include editorials, sports scores, important announcements and calendar events.

“We’re starting from scratch and we have a lot of ideas that I think people will be excited about. Readers will recognize our storytelling style, but with new and improved features,” said John Howard, editor of The Courier who will now oversee The Signal. “It’s something new and exciting for our area that we think people will like. This kind of thing really doesn’t exist here yet.”

Advertisers and current subscribers of The Courier will be notified about the process of the transition in the coming weeks, however, it is expected that there will be a brief publishing hiatus after the Sept. 9 edition of The Courier as The Signal prepares for its official launch.

Listen to an interview on Keeler with John Howard-