Uncertain Future for The New York Sun

In today's NY Sun, there's a letter from editor Seth Lipsky warning that the paper may fold at the end of the month if they don't "find additional financial backing" (he calls current investors keeping the paper afloat "heroic"). Lipsky acknowledges their goal "of providing an alternative to the New York Times in coverage of New York City, politics, foreign policy, and culture" "was an optimistic project," but is proud of its "journalistic credibility and a reputation for quality and verve." He explains that rising production and distribution costs have been too great, in spite of advertising increases. There have been some talks with other papers and companies; Lipsky says he's "hopeful" and so are we.

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By Jen Chung in News on September 4, 2008 8:48 AM

Comments [rss]

west side Michael

Their art critics stink.

No big deal,adios.

We already have one Republican mouthpiece X Mayor

Rudy G. The Sun will not come up tomorrow.

JenChungsBaby

Maybe if they stopped sending subscriptions to people like me who didn't ask for them and don't pay for them they'd save some money. I get The Sun delivered to my front door every day with my name on it and I've no idea why. It's good for packing stuff in, filling up the empty space in a cardboard box when you're returning something to Amazon or whatever.

JacqueMehoff

there's freebies of the Sun in most luxury apartment buildings, a stack of it every morning.

Toby von Meistersinger

The last time I read a copy of The Sun was a couple of weeks ago. It was being handed out for free as a promotion for something, I think a Korean film festival or something. The funny thing was this was at the W4th Street subway station, hardly in the area of the paper's demographic. Few people were taking them.

This was the first time I have seen The Sun do this sponsored freebee. The Post and News, I have seen do this dozens upon dozens of times.

IvoryJive

Rather than reading that letter by opening up a copy of The Sun this morning, we are reading a summary of it here on Gothamist. There is their problem in a nutshell.

The outlook is very bleak for print news.

drewo

Copies of the Sun started appearing in my building's doorway some months ago. All the copies are addressed to tenants who no longer live there. I always grab one on the way out the door. I'm not sure if this is some kind of marketing plan (the other copies seem to go directly to the recycle pile) - but the freebies have alerted me to this newspaper which I find a mostly enjoyable read. I particularly like columns by John Stossel and Lenore Skenazy.

I've actually considered a subscription if my freebies end. This town needs more media voices--across the political spectrum.

JacqueMehoff

oh noes, what will we do?

emilydickinson

I'm all for The Sun, it's another point of view and they have some very solid reporters. I'll be really surprised if any newspapers still exist in their present form in five years, the whole print media industry is bottoming out. If the NY Times ad revenue is in the gutter, you can be pretty certain the industry is on very shaky ground.

Peter

Who reads that paper anyway?

As best I can determine, no one.

smokedgouda

That would be too bad, the Sun has some good news writers that are unparalleled in NY. Their real estate and soccer coverage are great.

But the NY Sun has tried to force feed "NY Post" style, right wing politics to a very progressive city. Dumb move.