Pittsburgh Enters New Era Without Daily, Printed Newspaper

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- In the City of Pittsburgh, it's a sign of the changing times for print journalism.

Tuesday is the first weekday in centuries without a regularly scheduled, printed newspaper in Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently cut back to printing only five days a week, no longer publishing print editions on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The change went into effect on Saturday, Aug. 25.

The newspaper's owner, Block Communications, said the change will drive the Post-Gazette to focus on digital storytelling, but money is the biggest factor behind the move.

Block says the future is coming fast because few people under 40 read print papers. But that's okay.

"Digital is better. We can deliver the conventional newspaper, pages and sections, broadsheet newspaper to an iPad. We can do it very well with the software we've developed," Allan Block, chairman of Block Communications, said.

Post-Gazette subscribers recently got this letter in the mail, advising them of no more print editions on Saturdays and Tuesdays.

Of course, with the rising cost of newsprint, the Post-Gazette will save money by going digital. But will those savings costs be passed along to readers? A cheaper subscription price for digital?

Not likely, says Block, but then PG NewsSlide is free for all.

Block also told KDKA that going digital does not mean reducing the number of reporters at the paper. He expects news content to be high quality. Block says the Post-Gazette is also looking for an editorial cartoonist to replace Rob Rogers, who claimed he was fired for his anti-Trump cartoons. Block hopes to have a replacement soon.