Every week, we get at least a few emails like this one: “Could you add XXXXXX to your list of names that I gave you yesterday. His wife called and complained they used to get their papers on Friday and now it may be Monday or Tuesday. … I did sympathize with her and did tell her unfortunately this is a Post Office issue, and we are in the process of trying to fix it. It made her feel better then.”
If it helps at all, we know where most of the problems are and we are so thankful for your patience. You could be saying, “Enough is enough. I want to cancel my subscription.” But thankfully, that is not what’s happening. You simply want the problem solved.
And so do we. And so does the National Newspaper Association, which represents community newspapers like ours and is working with the Postal Service across the country on behalf of newspaper publishers.
Here are the particulars of our situation: All Enterprise Media Group papers are printed in Sheldon, Iowa, well ahead of the day they are supposed to show up in your mailbox. But from Sheldon, they wind up at a Postal Service distribution center in Omaha, which then has three to five days to deliver media mail to their respective towns, and it seems that they are using up every day of that allotted time.
For the most part, we aren’t seeing problems with the local Post Office locations. Our late deliveries are courtesy of the Omaha distribution center.
Until we can get a better solution, we want to remind you that your print subscription comes with free online access. We know, it doesn’t feel the same or handle the same way, but at least while things are imperfect you can locate your account on our website.
At the top of the home page, click on “log in.” Then “click here” under “Print subscribers” and enter your last name and street address before clicking “Locate account.” After that, you should receive a located message. Complete the requested information and you can use your online account.
If that doesn’t work, please feel free to call the office for your particular newspaper. We apologize for the inconvenience, but please understand that if you don’t have your physical paper the day it prints you can still view the E-edition on our website.
Meanwhile, we will continue to demand better from a U.S. Postal Service that continues to charge more and more for its services. Anything less is unacceptable.
EDITORIALS represent the opinion of Enterprise Media Group. Contact Publisher Chris Rhoades at crhoades@enterprisepub.com or Executive Editor Kevin Bumgarner at editor@enterprisepub.com. They may also be reached at (402) 426-2121.
