By Gina Cuclis

Sun Returns to Publishing Print Edition on Thursdays

After experimenting with publishing twice a week, and then publishing once a week on Fridays, the Sonoma Sun marked Thanksgiving day by returning to its roots of publishing its print edition on Thursdays. I think this is a good move that will increase the Sun's readership and better serve the local market.

The tabloid Sonoma Sun launched in 2004 publishing once a week on Thursdays. It offered an alternative voice and information not found in the long established Sonoma Index Tribune. The IT publishes on Tuesdays and Fridays. In 2008, the Sun made the aggressive move of going head to head with the Index Tribune by also publishing twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. At the time, the chatter in the community among advertisers and readers questioned whether this was a good move.

Facing the Realities of the Newspaper Industry

By 2009, as the newspaper industry continued to tumble, it became questionable whether the Sun would keep printing two editions a week. Speculation fueled whether two newspapers could survive in Sonoma Valley. Both papers were scaling back and the Sun laid off several employees.

In March 2009, the Sun returned to being a weekly newspaper. However, instead of returning to its Thursday roots, It continued to compete directly with the Index Tribune, publishing on Fridays. I questioned the wisdom of this in a post on Wired Sonoma.

Sonomans Like Having Two Newspapers

I've lost track of how many times I've heard a Sonoma Valley resident say they like that we have two newspapers. I agree. There's a place for both. I hope by the Sun returning to Thursdays, we'll continue to have both voices. Please leave a comment sharing what you think about Sonoma Valley's newspapers.