Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Q: Will the paper continue to publish twice a week or return to its regular publication schedule eventually?

A: The Winchester Sun’s management made the decision to change to a twice weekly publication in response to the economic hardships caused by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The Sun, like every newspaper in the world, has seen a sharp drop in print advertising as nonessential businesses are closed and events are canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic. The cost of a print subscription, which gives a reader unlimited free access to winchestersun.com, remains the same. Subscribers who previously paid in advance will receive the number of issues they paid for. For example, if you paid for three months in advance, which would equate to about 60 editions, you will still receive the same number of editions, just over a longer period. At this time, it is unclear if or when The Sun will be able to resume its daily print publication cycle. That will be determined as more information about the economic impact of the virus becomes available. At that time, our management and staff will work to be transparent as we communicate any future decisions to our readers.

 

Q: How are obituaries being handled now that there are two publications a week?

A: Our staff has communicated the new deadlines to local funeral homes, who have still submitting obituaries in a timely manner to be published in our Tuesday and Friday editions of the newspaper. Additionally, obituaries are published to our website as quickly as possible after they are received. Those obituaries are also included in our daily newsletter.

 

Q: What is the difference between the e-edition and the newsletter?

A: Customers who subscribe to the print edition of The Sun automatically receive a free subscription to our e-edition, which is an online PDF version of the paper just as it would appear in print. Customers can also subscribe to receive only the e-edition. Since we have two print publications each week, customers can expect to have access to two e-editions, which can be accessed through The Sun’s website at winchestersun.com.

In an effort to deliver daily and timely news to our readers, The Sun also offers an email newsletter. It is free to subscribe to the newsletter, and you do not have to be a print or e-edition subscriber to subscribe to the newsletter. Newsletters are sent once a day with links to online articles Tuesday through Saturday, but more often if necessary. Articles which are read by clicking in the daily newsletter still count toward non-subscribers’ monthly article allotment. However, content related to COVID-19 is still free to read and does not count toward the monthly allotment. To subscribe to the newsletter, visit winchestersun.com and click on the “Free Newsletter” advertisement at the right side of the home page.

 

Q: What about the comics and puzzles?

A: Readers can still find the comics and puzzles in the twice weekly print publications. Those are published in chronological order, so print readers will not miss out, they will just read the same storyline over a longer period of time. Additionally, puzzles and comics are included in our daily newsletters. Readers can click on the “puzzles and games” tab at the bottom of the newsletter to find that day’s puzzles, print them and work them at home. Comics can be printed or read online through the same tab.