Isms: Original views on life from rural America

Thoughts that keep a news publisher awake at night: Would Benjamin Franklin cringe at the tardiness of mail delivery?

Franklin, publisher of “The Pennsylvania Gazette,” first ran Philadelphia’s post system and, in 1753, was appointed joint postmaster for the 13 colonies.

By 1758, Franklin’s actions established a means to send newspapers via post service. Winifred Gallagher, in “How the Post Office Created America: A History,” gives Franklin credit for instituting an order that newspapers be delivered via post riders for similar rates as regular mail, supporting the free press.

I believe Franklin would be appalled at the tardiness of mail delivery and the targeted price increases on newspapers.

Since our inaugural issue hit your mailboxes more than five years ago, we have experienced almost a 25% increase in mailing fees.The latest price hike, which went in effect Jan. 21, brought an approximate 1.9% increase for periodical postage. More than likely, we’ll see another price increase during the second half of the year.

And, to be brutally honest, mail service has gotten worse. Every week, I field phone calls, text messages or emails from customers, letting me know they have yet to receive that week’s edition.

One of our out-of-state subscribers did not receive a newspaper for three weeks. How do I know it was mailed? I review the mailing list sent to the printer each week and see the customer’s name. That particular newspaper is always the top paper in a bundle that goes to Omaha, then to the southern U.S., for processing, so I see the customer’s name when we bundle newspapers for post office distribution.

My usual response, “Let me know if you haven’t received it by Saturday.” Many times, they don’t receive it until the following Monday or Tuesday. I could have personally driven to most of these customers’ homes to deliver a copy faster than it arrived via USPS.

I also suggest our customers take advantage of the E-edition on our website, so readers can access the newspaper anytime. It’s not the same as physically holding a newspaper and smelling the ink but it’s an option worth considering if delivery woes occur.

These continuing postal increases will get to the point where they are not sustainable for news organizations and consumers. The increases are counterintuitive to the desires of this nation’s founding fathers, who recognized the importance of a free press, that the free press creates an informed body and that body’s participation is essential for a successful democracy. The public has the right to know.

United States Postal Service and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, you need to up your game and stop this war on the press and delivery of the news in a timely manner.

Postal delays impact everyone, starting with those who subscribe and those who advertise in a newspaper. While I understand the postal system has its own tangible, intrinsic issues, the bottom line is simple. You provide a service and that service is sold based on promise of timely delivery. USPS isn’t meeting its promises.