SF Examiner Converts to Free

  • February 25, 2003
The San Francisco Examiner, struggling to compete against the crosstown broadsheet, The San Francisco Chronicle, has been converted to a smaller paper that will be distributed free. Monday’s debut issue was 40 pages, roughly half of what the formerly 25 cent Examiner cost. A paper that dates back to 1887 and was at one time the flagship to William Randolph Hearst's newspaper empire, has struggled to find readers and advertising dollars since a joint operating agreement with the Chronicle ended in November 2000. “We believe that the news should be free, as it is on radio, television and the Internet,” said publisher Florence Fang in a front page letter to readers. Fang says her Independent Newspaper Group already distributes hundreds of thousands of free newspapers every week in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, and by adding the Examiner, ING will now distribute one million free papers a week. By converting to a free paper, Fang says they will be able to step up distribution, “You will be seeing more of us in coming days. More than 3,000 newsracks and store locations will carry The Examiner, Monday through Friday,” she said. The Examiner fired forty staff members last week, saying it would need just 15 people to edit the free daily.

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