Direct-mail letters from The Clarion-Ledger to Columbus residents erroneously refer to “your local newspaper in Columbus” changing its format to “that of a weekly advertiser,” in an attempt by the Jackson paper to drum up its own circulation.
Several Dispatch subscribers on Tuesday dropped off letters they received to The Dispatch”s offices.
The Commercial Dispatch has no plans to change its current format or frequency. The Dispatch is a daily newspaper delivered Monday through Friday and on Sunday.
The Starkville Dispatch is also a daily newspaper distributed Monday through Friday and on Sunday. It is available for free in racks in more than 50 locations around town, and is also delivered to homes within the city limits.
Clarion-Ledger circulation director Sharon Heckler, who is responsible for the letters, said she based the campaign on a phone call from a single person who said he was from Starkville. She said she would mail corrections to addresses that received the first letter.
A call and e-mail to Clarion-Ledger Publisher Larry K. Whitaker were not returned Tuesday. A secretary in Whitaker”s office said he does not readily return phone calls.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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