Keeping you informed is a serious business, and it requires a serious investment on the part of the Red Deer Advocate to get the job done.
In fact, it is our intent every day to put our readers first. Our experienced, talented and dedicated newsroom staff knows the community and its issues, and the people who are the lifeblood of this region. Our coverage of Central Alberta provides a breadth and a depth you won’t find anywhere else.
We know that Advocate readers value the local news we provide daily in print and the information we post online as it occurs. And we know you value the investment we’ve made and continue to make to bring that news to the community.
For more than 100 years, our readers have paid to have the Advocate delivered to their door, or paid for the convenience of picking it up at a newsstand.
Starting on Monday, readers who have made the Advocate’s online news package a part of their day — but haven’t purchased the Advocate — are being asked to pay for access to our exclusive local coverage.
We’ve established two payment streams: paper subscribers will continue to have full access to all online material. We’ll email you a password to access our enhanced news package at www.reddeeradvocate.com.
Online-only readers will be offered a digital subscription to access local material at www.reddeeradvocate.com or, for a slightly lower annual fee, a home-delivered Red Deer Advocate and full online access.
After the digital subscription system is introduced, all readers will continue to have access to the home page and many of the categories there, including all of the material we purchase from The Canadian Press and other news services around the world. But access to local material will require a password.
Always mindful of the needs of our readers, we’ve also redesigned our website and are adding a number of features:
• a new-and-improved photo section allows users to browse and purchase Advocate photos
• the new site design lets readers efficiently browse through stories and headlines
• enhanced video options allow viewers to watch video in HD
• we are introducing a more aggressive plan to publish breaking local news
• new social media tools allow readers to instantly share stories with their peers
Major breaking news and critical community alerts will still be available for all readers. We know how vital our role is in times of emergency.
Among the many other categories that will remain free will be classified ads, comics, puzzles, obituaries, weather, theatre listings, lotteries and horoscopes.
But our exclusive local sports coverage, including Red Deer Rebels coverage, will require a password, as will access to local columnists on a variety of topics.
The only way to have access to our entire package, including our multi-media material and other web-exclusive features, is to subscribe to the Advocate through home delivery or get an online subscription.
It takes time, and money, to gather, package and deliver local news to you. We are committed to continuing to provide quality local news to you, in print and online, but that requires an investment from all of us.