- May 2, 2024
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Our mission at the Palm Coast Observer is to inspire our community with extraordinary local content and to help our partners prosper.
Today, we are announcing some changes that will help us achieve our mission.
Effective next week, the Palm Coast Observer will return to publishing once a week — on Thursdays. This will be the last edition we publish and distribute on Saturday.
Based on conversations with readers and advertisers, we have learned you enjoy — and deserve — a more comprehensive and engaging publication, rather than two smaller editions in one week. Many residents told us they were not reading our editions but skimming them, knowing that the next edition would arrive shortly. Publishing just one day a week will allow our editorial staff to provide more extraordinary local content.
We were reminded of this on Sept. 4, when we scooped NBC, ABC and CNN on a heart-felt story about two Palm Coast kids who decided to organize a lemonade stand to help raise money for family friends who themselves are fundraising to adopt two orphaned Samoan children.
Emily and John Skripko were more successful than they imagined, raising more than $1,100 at their stand at Waterfront Park and through other donations. This story, which is deeply rooted in our community, received some of the highest praise we have heard in a while. It’s not something you will see anywhere other than in the Palm Coast Observer, and we want to continue to bring you incredible stories like this one about our neighbors and neighborhoods.
Circulation increase
With our first edition in October, more Palm Coast residents will receive the paper. To help our advertising partners prosper, we are boosting our weekly circulation by 5,000 — to 30,000, a 20% increase. The additional newspapers will be delivered to include parts of Matanzas Woods at the north end of Flagler County, Seminole Woods at the south and Flagler Beach in the east.
Digital news
Another change has already been under way for some time now, but is now more important than ever. Our editorial process is that of daily news deadlines. Our writers provide daily news, breaking news and unique content on our digital platform at PalmCoastObserver.com and, concurrently, on our Facebook page.
Our core values for relevant, accurate, timely and quality journalism remain the same online as in our print publication. This has translated to more than 9,000 “likes” on our Facebook page, while our website page views and online readers grow each month.
To improve our digital footprint, we are pleased to announce a new smartphone and tablet app, available Nov. 1 of this year.
Ad astra
In our four years of publishing, we have experienced steady growth. We have increased our original circulation from 20,000 to now 30,000 in Palm Coast. Our weekly editions have tripled from 16 pages when we started publishing. We added a second newspaper earlier this year, the Ormond Beach Observer. And our original staff of four has grown to 26 full- and part-time employees. What’s more, steps are under way to introduce more features and news in the coming months. We’re convinced you’ll like them.
We are grateful to you — our readers, advertisers and community partners — for your support of the Palm Coast Observer. As we are moving and shaking, changing and evolving, we hope you will continue to find what we do relevant to your daily lives in Palm Coast and Flagler County. Through all of these changes, one thing remains the same: We are committed to providing extraordinary local content and to helping our partners prosper.
Ad Astra — to the stars!
