The Olympian to change print days as digital transition evolves

The Olympian is getting ready to take its biggest step yet on its journey toward a more digitally focused, sustainable future.

We will transition to a 24/7 digital news provider with three days of print newspapers beginning May 6.

The print editions will publish Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and continue to be delivered along with your mail. The Sunday newspaper will arrive on Saturday as it has. Single copies also will be available at select retail locations.

The eEdition will continue to publish seven days a week at theolympian.com and in our digital app. And we’ll continue to publish news digitally throughout the day, every day.

And the best is yet to come. We’re very excited about a new, improved eEdition that will be in place in the next few months.

We’re also expanding our digital offerings and improving your digital experience. For a limited time we’re offering a unique opportunity for The Olympian subscribers to enjoy a customized experience via a brand new tablet we provide at no extra cost. You can register for that program online at digital.theolympian.com/tablet-offer/. While supplies last and restrictions apply.

This is all part of the digital transition of the news industry — and a vital step toward the sustainability of The Olympian.

Olympian publishers, editors and managers have been key partners in helping shape this community for decades, from serving on the boards of local organizations to playing pivotal roles in key decisions. We plan to be here for decades to come.

The reality is that, increasingly, Thurston County residents get their news from their phones, tablets and computers. This shift will allow us to allocate more resources and effort to providing timely updates and engaging content on our website and other digital spaces.

We’ve already become much more digitally focused to the point where readers of theolympian.com or our eEdition often see our best work before our print readers. For months now, we have been able to add to our eEdition, providing a new section of stories that were published after our print deadline or are scheduled to run in print at a later date.

For The Olympian to continue to provide you with essential coverage of our community, to hold local leaders accountable, and to lead reporting on the state Capitol, we must transform our business to thrive in 2024 and beyond.

Our professional journalists — some, like Rolf Boone, who have been covering this county for decades — provide you with unparalleled coverage, digging deep on topics of critical importance and providing context on long-running issues. They know the leaders in this community, and write clearly about the impact of their work.

The Olympian has made housing and homelessness a priority as more and more of local residents struggle with these issues. Reporter Ty Vinson reported on the Olympia School District’s budget crisis that has put beloved schools in jeopardy of closing. State government reporter Shauna Sowersby has boiled down the many actions of the state legislature into easy-to-read roundups, as well as held legislators to account for efforts to keep state records out of the public’s hands.

Just this past month, reporter Martín Bilbao reported on the closed process used to choose the new county manager, a man who left his previous job in San Bernardino, California, amid allegations of impropriety and divisive management practices.

Our journalists’ commitment to this community isn’t changing. We will continue to deliver in-depth reporting, breaking news and captivating stories about interesting residents and happenings.

If you’re already a subscriber, thank you for supporting the work we do and investing in local journalism. Be sure to activate your digital access at theolympian.com/activate.

If you aren’t a subscriber, please consider subscribing and becoming a part of the solution. Our growing community deserves a strong, dependable, professional local news source, but that requires support from the community.

In the coming days, subscribers will receive correspondence from our customer service team regarding next steps. That team can be reached at 800-905-0296.

This story was originally published March 1, 2024 at 4:00 AM.