Miramichi Leader to publish only once a week

Free paper will be part of weekly flyer package

The CBC reported today that Brunswick News (BNI) will not be publishing its daily newspapers (Times, Telegraph and Gleaner) on Mondays anymore. The National Post made a similar move in 2017 saying readership was low on Mondays.

As a footnote CBC also reported that BNI is also only going to provide the Miramichi Leader free as part of the weekly flyer bundle, rather than publishing a paid version on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week.

In July 2010 the Miramichi Leader did not have an online version. At that time the circulation was about 14,000 papers. The online version was available in 2011, and since then circulation has dwindled to about 4000 according to people who worked at the paper.

In 2011 the Miramichi Leader had 4 reporters, an editor, and a writer who did special features. There was also a team of four salespeople, a sales manager, a general manager, a receptionist, and staff who designed ads. Within 10 years the staff at the Leader dwindled to 2 reporters and 1 salesperson who all work from home. The building was sold and has been demolished to make way for a gas station and convenience store.

The Miramichi Leader will now be obtained without cost to the consumer. Industry analysts say this is worrying as it could be perceived as sending the signal that the product isn’t worth paying for. (LINK)

The North Shore Leader came into existence in 1906 and changed its name to the Miramichi Leader in 1979. It was owned and published by David Cadogan  between 1970 and 2003, at which time the newspaper was acquired by Brunswick News.

Brunswick News owns all the newspapers in New Brunswick except L’Acadie Nouvelle. L’Acadie Nouvelle will also stop publishing on Mondays this summer, and says half of their readers use the online version.

CBC reported that the Bugle in Woodstock would also stop offering a paid version of their paper in favour of a free version delivered in the weekly flyers.

BNI papers

Daily

• Telegraph-Journal (Saint John; distributed throughout the province)
• Times & Transcript (Moncton)
• The Daily Gleaner (Fredericton)

Weekly

Brunswick News owns 14 English-language weeklies (6 paid subscription, 5 free) and 7 French-language weeklies (4 paid subscription, 3 free).

• The Tribune (English language) (Campbellton and Restigouche County)
• La Voix du Restigouche (French Language) (Campbellton and Restigouche County)
• The Bugle-Observer (Woodstock)
• Le Journal Madawaska (French Language) (Edmundston)
• L'Étoile (French Language)
• Édition provinciale
• Édition La Cataracte (Grand Falls)
• Édition Chaleur (Chaleur region)
• Édition Dieppe (Dieppe)
• Édition Kent (Kent)
• Édition Péninsule (Acadian Peninsula area)
• Édition République (Edmundston)
• Édition Restigouche (Restigouche)
• Édition Shédiac (Shediac)
• Kings County Record (English language) (Sussex, Kings County area)
• Miramichi Leader (English language) (Miramichi) (weekly)
• The Northern Light (English language) (Bathurst)
• Here (English language urban alternative weekly distributed to Saint John, Moncton and Fredericton)
• KV Style (Kennebecasis Valley)