Good idea but still with LNP ‘Double Speak’

Maybe it has just become part of the Lancaster Newspapers’ DNA, but the front page article “LNP print operation moving” manages to obscure almost as much as it tells.

Upon studying the article, we focused on two paragraph that appearson Page A6:

“Our aging equipment required us to consider how we will print and produce our product in the future. Our press is no longer supported by its manufacturer. Other essential equipment is also no longer supported by their manufacturers. Various suppliers of essential supplies for our print and production processes no longer produce supplies for the technology we use.”

“However, presses with excess capacity already exist in Mechanicsburg, Reading and Philadelphia, making any attempt to establish a regional print center in Lancaster inevitably unsuccessful. Instead we will be redeploying those resources into our operations that focus on news gathering, content creation, and marketing for our customers. This is another step in our effort to provide news and information that people in Lancaster need, want and value; facilitate and enhance important community conversations; and help businesses of all sizes to grow and to prosper.”

So is LNP saying that they are outplacing the printing of the newspaper to others at an existing plant in Mechanicsburg, perhaps sharing the facility with the Harrisburg Patriot-News that only goes to print three times a week? (We don’t know.)

If so, by not clearly disclosingthe highly pertinent and news worthy information, do they think that readers won’t realize that this is another step towards a future, hopefully distant time, when LNP will only be digitally published on the Internet?

We think LNP is making a wise move. The longer it can afford a print edition, the better off Lancaster will be.

But we just wish LNP fully and objectively reported on itself rather than spun the news of this important development.