Although Sydney independent suburban newspaper The Western Weekender is available across multiple platforms, it’s good to hear about the news brand’s continued success in print.
Managing editor Troy Dodds told Mediaweek his paper is put to bed on Wednesday afternoons and is delivered to residents around the Penrith region on Thursdays.
The average size of the newspaper at present is around 80 pages not counting an additional property magazine which can range from 24-32 pages weekly.
The Western Weekender is one of several options for locals to keep tabs on news in the area. “In the past, the residents were also served by Penrith Press which is News Corp and Penrith Star which was Fairfax,” said Dodds. “The Star stopped about five years ago and then Penrith Press [print edition] disappeared during the pandemic and never returned.”
Managing editor Troy Dodds
The Western Weekender launched in 1991 and 32 years later is now the sole survivor of a print war that escalated through the 1990s and 2000s.
Dodds also noted there were several small hyper-local community titles also in the mix. “The Penrith Press remains as a digital publication, although it sits behind a paywall. That is our point of difference as we don’t charge for content.”
As to reporters on the ground in the region, Dodds noted both his publication and News Corp have local court reporters. “We also have four journalists who report for us plus a full-time photographer. Our court reporter also does some writing for our sister title in Parramatta, Parra News. We also have a full-time sports reporter and two news reporters. In addition to my role as editor, I also work as a breaking news reporter across our digital platforms.
Dodds also writes a newsprint column every week and also does some rugby league coverage which is one of the strengths of the title.
Juggling print and digital priorities has long been a challenge for those who deal in both. “We are neither print nor digital-first,” explained Dodds. “We still hold back material to be print exclusive which can include local news about sporting achievements and local awards. We then tend to be digital only for breaking news which covers a lot of crime stories and court verdicts. Council meetings news too we tend to push online.
“With not as much competition we are able to choose if we want to hold some stories over for the print edition. We work to ensure the print edition remains super relevant to people, giving them a reason to pick it up for news and information they haven’t seen elsewhere.”
Like other publishers, Dodds said there is a growing popularity for the print replica edition.
The employment of a full-time photographer is an acknowledgement that people remain interested in seeing their picture in the paper. “There are still a number of people who visit the office wishing to get multiple copies of the paper. Although it is generational, some of all ages still like getting a printed version of their local acknowledgement.”
Opportunities for brands
The Western Weekender has its own direct sales team covering the area. The title works with local, state and national brands in highlighting their presence and offer to the local community. Dodds: “We can work with brands on every level whether it be digital, print or even podcasting. The paper’s photographer is also available to be used for commercial partnerships.”
When asked about any examples of commercial success stories using The Western Weekender, Dodds said: “The most obvious one would be Harvey Norman, a big advertiser who still makes local marketing decisions. They do various campaigns with us. Another is Bing Lee who also makes local decisions.
Other brands using the title for reaching customers include McDonald’s, Myer, Sydney Zoo, Sea Life Sydney, BOQ and Hoyts, as well as hundreds of local advertisers.
“We face a challenge when there might be somebody sitting in an office in Melbourne making decisions about booking campaigns.
“Marketers need to embrace the differences and uniqueness of certain areas. A one-size-fits-all approach might sometimes be the easy option but a publication like the Weekender has enormous reach in a city like Penrith and to ignore it is to ignore a city of some 200,000 people – and potential customers.
“Virtually everything is run out of our Penrith office…apart from printing the paper,” laughed Dodds.
“We have always believed that keeping it local is key to the publication’s longevity. We have watched from the sidelines as others made decisions about centralising their operations. And we certainly understand why they made those decisions. Our mission though, is to remain as local as we can.”
About The Western Weekender
The title is published by Western Sydney Publishing Group, owned by Kathryn Garton since 2015.
Parra News is a sister paper. It’s a smaller operation with one journalist and one sales rep. Some content is shared between both brands. That title was a brave move, launching in the middle of the pandemic, November 2020, as some titles were pulling back.