By John Chenier
The Echo depends on revenue from advertising to cover the cost of publication and distribution. While the paper is a total volunteer effort, the costs of publishing and distributing 8,000 copies of each edition come to slightly more than $4000. While the community association can step up and cover the odd shortfall, it cannot do so indefinitely.
The pandemic has had a severe effect on many of our existing and potential advertisers, which in turn has led to a decrease in our revenues. Fortunately, as part of the effort to help businesses overcome the effects of COVID, the federal government has introduced a program to assist newspapers. The Echo applied and received $2000 from the Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations.
The Echo plans to use the money to help pay for the publication of this edition and to support a marketing campaign to attract new advertisers to ensure the long-term viability of the Echo.