The "A Crime Against A Newspaper? What's Next?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Heading out my driveway to pick up my morning newspaper.  If you have been a reader of my blog for any length of time, you more than likely know that I love my morning newspaper.  If it's not on time I more than likely will give the newspaper office a call to remind them that I am still waiting for my morning paper.  For years and years it was the morning Intelligencer Journal during the week and the Sunday News on Sunday.  Then a few changes were made by the newspaper company and the weekly newspaper is now known as the LNP/LancasterOnline while the Sunday News is known as the Sunday LNP/LancasterOnline.  To me...they are still the same thing with a different headline.  Great reporting with some of the best photojournalists in the country.  Then...one morning a few days ago, no paper appeared on my driveway.  Rather than call...I turned on my computer and read the online edition which is exactly the same as the printed edition.  Wondered at the time why I didn't have to go through all the questions asking if I was a subscriber, etc.  The following day I found the reason why I didn't have to prove to them that I have a subscription to the daily newspaper.

In a light gray box on the right side of the front page was an 8" X 3" column with a small headline that read: "Note to our readers."  It read:  Dear readers, Steinman Communications is the victim of a significant criminal act that has limited its ability to print LNP and its other newspapers.  The company immediately began investigating the incident, discovered on Thursday, and has reported the matter to federal law-enforcement officials. The specific nature and scope of the crime remain unclear, and no one has been charged. But it has dramatically limited our company's ability to publish complete newspapers, respond to customers and work with advertisers.  Our staff will work to continue publishing smaller editions of each of our newspapers- the daily LNP and weekly Lancaster Farming, Ephrata Review, Lititz Reord, Elizabethtown Advocate and The Caucus.  We have also made access to Lancaster Online.com., our flagship website, free to everyone until we're able to resolve the problems.  With the help of industry experts, we are working as quickly as possible.  Because of the signifiant technical challenges we face, our deadlines will be earlier in the evening.  Coverage of Friday night's high school football games was published on LancasterOnline.com immediately and appears in today's LNP.  I cleanly understand your frustration.  LNP is an important part of your life.  I ask for your patience and hope you'll continue reading.  Tom Murse, Executive Editor.  Now I have my answer to my question as to why I didn't get my paper.  I have known Tom for many years, since he was a student at Manheim Tonship HIgh School were I taught for many years.  His dad was one of my coaches on a few of the little league baseball teams I coached and his brother Jeff was the star player on the team.  I feel so bad for Tom and his struggles, since I'm sure he is trying his best to correct the situation for the readers of the Lancaster newspapers.  I must admit that I can't see why someone would want to sabotage a newspaper company unless they think they can ask for money to stop the problem.  To be the editor of a newspaper is a big enough job, but to have to put up with criminal activity in order to publish it must be awful.  Thanks, Tom for all you do for the citizens  of Lancaster and I'm sure we all hope that the culprit, or culprits who have committed this awful crime will be caught soon so you can get the newspaper back to normal once again for all your readers.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.