St. Louis Post-Dispatch Goes Digital Only on Mondays

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The St. Louis Post-Dispatch will stop printing its Monday edition, shifting to a digital-only format effective Nov. 3. Executive Editor Alan Achkar announced the decision in a note on the newspaper’s website on Friday.

Achkar stated, “The change to our Monday publication will help us focus our resources and time on the products readers are using the most.” He emphasized that the paper’s commitment to local news remains unchanged.

The Post-Dispatch has seen a dramatic decline in print subscriptions. From 2005 to 2024, its weekly print subscriptions fell by 91%, down to 24,263 from 281,461, according to the Alliance for Audited Media. Similarly, the Sunday print edition dropped from 437,311 subscribers in 2005 to just 37,139 in 2024.

In contrast, digital subscriptions grew approximately 1,100% during that same period, though they still represent less than one-fifth of the print subscribers in 2005.

Lee Enterprises, the owner of the Post-Dispatch, has promoted digital subscriptions as the future of its publications. In August 2024, the company claimed to focus on “digital sustainability.”

Financially, Lee Enterprises is facing challenges, reporting a net loss of $2 million and carrying $455 million in outstanding debt. The company incurred losses following a cybersecurity attack in February.

This move is not the paper’s only cost-saving strategy. Recently, the Post-Dispatch closed its food magazine, Feast, and laid off numerous staff members as part of a broader restructuring plan.

The Post-Dispatch’s building in downtown St. Louis is also for sale, with the Starwood Group seeking over $3 million for the property.

St. Louis Public Radio’s Kate Grumke contributed reporting to this story.