Exclusive: The New York Sun revives print edition
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A prototype print cover (not the actual cover) for the New York Sun's revitalized print edition, out this Friday. Photo: Courtesy of the New York Sun
The New York Sun, which relaunched under its new owner and publisher Dovid Efune in 2022, is reviving the storied paper's print edition for the first time since 2008.
Why it matters: Print has seen a resurgence in magazines in recent years, but newspapers have rarely revived print editions in an era of declining circulation.
- Efune said there's audience and advertiser demand for it.
The big picture: "We're not of the view that news consumption is reverting backwards," he tells Axios.
- "But we recognize that given the digital deluge, there's growing demand to experience the consumption of newspapers differently in carve-outs in the lives of readers," Efune says.
- "It's not likely an everyday thing, but on weekends and in other more serene parts of our lives, sitting down on the porch or in a cafe, having a drink or a coffee while reading the paper is an experience that we're seeing heightened interest in and appreciation for."
- Advertisers that will be part of the print relaunch's debut edition include mostly local businesses such as Carnegie Hall and a New York City real estate company called Nest Seekers.
Zoom in: The new print edition will publish weekly on Fridays, per Efune.
- It will be available for purchase on newsstands across New York City to start. It will also be accessible as part of a broader print and digital subscription bundle for $480 annually.
- The broadsheet newspaper will appear in a Berliner format, which is slightly smaller than a traditional paper but larger than a tabloid.
- It will include two main sections: one for news and opinion and the other for arts and culture.
Zoom out: Efune purchased the paper in 2021 from Seth Lipsky, the current editor-in-chief who relaunched the paper in 2002. Lipsky also served as editor until 2008 until he shuttered the paper, citing financial constraints.
- Over the past few years, Efune has revived the paper's digital presence, and he says the outlet is now profitable.
- The Sun today has nearly 2 million free email subscribers and "tens of thousands" of paid subscribers, Efune says.
What to watch: Efune says the Sun's voice embodies "American values and principles," which feature the constitutional principles of free markets and individual liberties.
- The Sun does run political endorsements, but it has not yet endorsed a mayoral candidate.
- The first three print editions will feature in-depth investigations into New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
