Missouri Press Association
Serving Missouri Newspapers Since 1867
I have always preferred the broadsheet newspaper format. Early in my career, I never had much use for tabloids, thinking they weren’t “real” newspapers. Blame the National Enquirer, if you will.
When I became managing editor of the Muleskinner as a graduate student at the University of Central Missouri, one of the first things I did was convert the paper to a broadsheet. I was unsuccessful, however, in changing its name.
My stance on broadsheets vs. tabloids has certainly evolved. I still have a fondness and a preference for the former, but I do find them somewhat cumbersome and more difficult to read – especially on airplanes. The tab format seems a little more reader-friendly.
Over the past year, a third format has emerged. I call it the CherryRoad model, although others say it’s more akin to a magazine format. We’re talking a 12-inch by 18-inch sheet of 20-pound office paper that folds down to a 12-by-9 “newspaper.” It provides around 100 inches of “live” editorial and advertising space, nearly identical to an 11 x 11 tabloid.
I was almost mortified when I first saw a copy a year ago. “How can that be considered a newspaper?” I wondered.
The new format has grown on me. I now see it as a viable alternative to the traditional broadsheet or tabloid newspaper.
In a June 25 webinar sponsored by Editor & Publisher, CherryRoad Media CEO Jeremy Gulban explained that the company’s new production model uses high-capacity digital printing technology to reduce transportation costs, minimize waste, improve profit margins, and maintain newspaper delivery in smaller markets.
“Web press printing has never been very efficient for small runs,” he said. “You’re going to waste at least 1,000 copies to get to 1,000 sellable copies.”
Gulban cited several challenges facing traditional offset printing operations, including the closure of numerous paper mills over the past year, which has driven up the cost of newsprint; tariffs on aluminum plates, ink and other consumables; the difficulty of finding skilled press operators, particularly in smaller markets; and the rising cost of long-haul delivery routes.
Gulban didn’t even mention the shuttering of offset printing plants. Missouri has seen four of its 13 plants close in the past year. The July closure of the Branson Tri-Lakes News plant in Hollister sent about a dozen MPA members scrambling to find printers.
In the first quarter of 2026, CherryRoad converted 44 of its markets to the magazine-size format. Gulban said reader response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“They say the pictures are better and easier to see because of the crispness of the print and the contrast with the white paper,” he said. “Advertisers like the ads better because they’re much better looking than the best web press ads could be.”
Gulban said his papers haven’t had to reduce ad rates with the smaller format and can save money at the post office.
“A quarter page is still a quarter page, even though it’s fewer column inches,” he said. “It’s going to stand out more.
“And the postage is actually less than for broadsheet papers. Even though the paper is heavier, there is less of it. They seem to move through the postal system more efficiently than traditional newspapers. They are easier for a postal worker to deal with than a broadsheet newspaper.”
CherryRoad partners with the country’s largest Xerox reseller to provide the machines to its regional hubs. The Marshall Democrat-News, for example, prints eight newspapers at its office: the Democrat-News, Boonville Daily News, Moberly Monitor-Index, Centralia Fireside Guard, Carrollton Democrat, and the non-CherryRoad Lexington News, Higginsville Advance, and Santa Fe Times.
CherryRoad’s technology allows subscriber addresses to be printed in the bottom-left corner of each newspaper as the papers come off the machines. The company also has the ability to tailor certain advertisements to individual readers’ interests.
Lee Bachlet, CherryRoad’s senior vice president for growth and innovation, says the company is willing to help other papers convert to the digital printing format.
“We have all the backend work already done ... page templates, ad sizing, postal label printing, etc.,” he said. “You can make this switch quickly and easily. All you need to do is lease your printer and have someone there to catch your papers when they come off the machine.”
To schedule a meeting or a demo with Lee, contact him at LBachlet@cherryroad.com.
The CherryRoad model may not be for everyone, but it is certainly worth considering as an option to help preserve local newspapers in smaller markets.
