The Surfer’s Journal Media Model Stands the Test of Time (shop-eat-surf.com)

First Quarter Highlights •Consolidated revenue of $152.3 billion, up 7.6%, or 7.7% in constant currency (“cc”)1 •Consolidated gross margin rate declines 18 basis points on mix of sales •Consolidated operating expenses as a percentage of net sales down 58 basis points •Walmart U.S. comp sales up 7.4%3; eCommerce up 27%, led by pickup & delivery

Three Gannett newspapers in New Jersey — Asbury Park Press, Home News Tribune and Courier News — have unionized with the NewGuild of New York, the union announced last week. “Our newsrooms have served our communities for over a century, and by forming the APP-MCJ Guild, we are ensuring our journalists are given the necessary means to serve for the next 100 years,” states Ryan Ross, on-air host and visual journalist for the Asbury Park Press. “We respect the right of employees at Asbury Park Press, the Courier News and the Home News Tribune to make a fully informed choice for themselves whether to unionize or not to unionize,” says Thomas C. Zipfel, Gannett's labor relations counsel.

The Postmaster General’s statements about the Postal Regulatory Commission’s role during the recent mismanagement of USPS are false. The Commission follows the law to ensure that USPS provides universal service to all Americans, including those in rural and remote locations, and also safeguards fair competition in package markets by preventing the Postal Service from abusing its monopoly position. The price cap the Postmaster General has complained about for years was established by law, not by the Commission. Once the Commission had the legal authority to change the price cap, the Commission gave USPS significantly more pricing freedom. Combined with the 2022 law passed by Congress, the Postal Service received over $100 billion in financial assistance. So far, the Delivering for America Plan (DFA) has wasted that help, losing more money for the Postal Service (a $9.5 billion loss in FY 2024), making USPS less efficient, and collapsing service, especially for rural Americans. On April 1, USPS is planning to amplify that negative impact on rural areas by deliberately slowing mail to thousands of rural communities nationwide. The Postmaster General has also tried to ignore USPS’ traditional role in mail delivery while expanding the role of the government in the competitive package market, a strategy which has failed miserably to this point. DFA’s failures have received bipartisan scorn and are documented at www.prc.gov. DFA needs transparency and accountability. The Commission has done more than its part to help USPS. In addition to pricing flexibility, the Commission, as required by law, has approved thousands of specialized contracts between USPS and customers in recent years. The Commission approved these negotiated service agreements rapidly, while working to make sure USPS does not compete unfairly with private sector shipping competitors. The Commission has done this work along with its other statutory responsibilities with fewer than 100 staff members.