When I got my first journalism job out of college, my stepmother was pushing me to pursue a Master’s in business.

Young, dumb and tired of school after five years of post-secondary education, I lazily pursued an application, but I never followed through. My prevailing wisdom at 23 was that I had my journalism degree and would always be a writer or photographer with no interest in the business side of things.

Fifteen years later, I wish I could give younger me a swift kick in the shorts.

My wife, Jordan, and I are often asked how we came to be owners of the Democrat. Truth be told, neither of us ever thought we’d be in the position we are now — nearly 3 years into owning a 154-year-old weekly newspaper.

When the opportunity struck — and we saw profit-and-loss statements for the first time in our lives — we knew we could make it work.

We spent copious hours leading up to the transition brainstorming. With my having been editor since 2014 and Jordan reporting since 2018, we never once questioned our ability to keep what we had going.

Our brainstorming sessions were all about innovation. What could we capitalize on that was not on those P&Ls?

Those sessions paid off. We expanded digital ad offerings on our website; we started selling photos on a third-party website, Zenfolio; we partnered with companies for big box ads on our website and in print; we pursued getting paid by Facebook, first with stars (still earned zilch from that), then progressing to the current content monetization program that delivers $75-$100 a month; and as of this year, we started offering sponsorships on Facebook Reels that net three to four times the views of what a business would pay to “boost” from their own page.

My philosophy has always been, “Four quarters make a dollar.”

That approach has worked well for our purposes and area. We’ve maintained the lowest annual subscription rate — less than $30 for most of our print subscribers — simultaneously keeping our website one of the last 100% free news platforms around.

As proud as we are to offer all those affordable (or totally free) avenues to access our product, the time has come for us to face the music.

In the last 18 months, postage costs have increased 28%, and printing costs 30% (and we are still momentarily immune to tariff costs, but they are likely coming). We can’t do anything about postage, but when our delivery cost from the printer shot from $25 a week to $140, I started driving to Hollister to pick up paper myself. Since then, I have also moved my deadline up 4 hours to better accommodate our printer. I’m not elated about that, but the ends justify the means.

The printing change got Jordan and me mathing. Traditionally, in the newspaper business, subscription revenue should offset printing and delivery costs — we are upside down in that respect by tens of thousands.

If we are judging simply by inflation costs, a year after opening in 1871, the cost of an annual subscription was $1.50. According to the consumer price index inflation calculator, which only goes back to 1913, that equates to $49.45 today.

I say all this to preface the inevitable. We have to restructure our rates. To meet the traditional model, we would have to increase subscriptions to $66 a year. Considering most of our subscribers pay $28.10 per year, that hike seemed high. Yet, we are balancing that with the fact we haven’t changed our prices significantly in about a decade.

Jordan and I brainstormed to this outcome: in October, an annual subscription will be $52 per year — $1 a week — with our senior and military discount at $47 per year. The rack price — at 75 cents since I arrived in 2014 — will go up to $1.25.

As far as the website, we simply cannot afford to give our product away for free any longer. We are targeting Jan. 1 for a metered paywall, with an online-only subscription priced at $25 a year and $20 for seniors and military. And, we are aiming to launch an app and focus more on consistent, daily posts online rather than holding breaking news for the print product. More on that transition will come as that paywall launch date approaches.

Because we are softies, all new print subscriptions in September will be at our $28.10 senior and military rate, and the website will remain completely free.

Opposite of the softness, we are confident our news product, our time and efforts, our dedication to this community and our value to our advertisers are absolutely 100% worth the changes we plan to implement.

With nationwide studies reporting two-and-a-half newspapers in the U.S. closing every week, we do not want to be a statistic. Cassville and Barry County deserve the best our seven-time “Best Small Weekly Newspaper in Missouri” can deliver — and we will continue striving to deliver it.

Kyle Troutman has served as editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and owner/publisher since 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he is a three-time ISWNE Golden Dozen award winner. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat. com.