The Press-Republican Is Going to Three Days a Week. Here's What That Means for the Tri-Lakes.

Starting June 16, the Press-Republican will print on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and weekends only. The paper that has covered Clinton, Essex, and Franklin counties since 1812 is cutting its print schedule by nearly half.

General Manager Scott Bresett framed it as a national trend. 'The newspaper industry is no stranger to change as it is considered part of normal business since the beginning,' he said. 'Even though this is a bold move, we are committed to being Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties' No. 1 news source.' The paper says subscribers still have full digital access seven days a week.

This isn't a surprise — it's the same move dozens of regional papers have made over the past few years. The economics of print are brutal and getting worse. But knowing it was coming doesn't make it less real when it lands. The real question is whether the reporting capacity behind those stories stays intact, or whether the print reduction is cover for something deeper — fewer reporters, fewer beats, less presence at the town meetings and school board sessions that nobody else is watching.

Tri-Lakes Town Square was built for exactly this gap. We can't replace a newsroom. But we can make sure the government documents, meeting minutes, and public records that used to get translated into stories don't disappear into filing cabinets unread.