At Daybreak, rise and shine with our newsletter

By Andrew West

Good morning!

I am looking forward to sharing this greeting each day with readers of Daybreak — a new, emailed newsletter.
Daybreak will replace our automated Daily Headlines newsletter, starting Monday.

The email will be sent to thousands of readers at about 6 a.m.

Rather than a list of headlines based on when items were posted on the State News’ website, Daybreak will prioritize the news of the day and include links to the stories in a concise format.

Essentially, it will be a unique “edition” of the Delaware State News.

A friend from Twipe, an international digital publishing company, once said a newsletter should offer a “rewarding mix of predictability and serendipity.”

Like our print edition, it will include news, opinion, business, sports and entertainment sections.

For the big stories, Daybreak will offer additional context and data.

Whenever possible, I will tap into memories of our reporting over my past 30 years with the Delaware State News and share some historical perspective. And, regularly, I would like to tell some stories about our reporters’ experiences in the field.

Also, you will find “Just for Fun” nuggets to lead you to smiles and amusements, including daily word puzzles.

Those of you who receive our Latest on the Coronavirus, Essentially Milford or Heart of Sussex newsletters will find it offers a similar reading experience.

We will do our best to make sure Daybreak is a quick read and offers the links you need to go deeper. Our “page-turning” subscribers of print editions will likely enjoy it, too, especially if pressed for time or away from home.

***

Enter your email address in the Daybreak box in the newsletters page to register.

Current Delaware State News Daily Headlines newsletter readers will remain on the email list.

Registration is free. But please note, there is only limited free access to the State News’ website. Readers can enjoy our content in more depth with a digital subscription.

Newsletters are just one of the strategies we are employing to reach readers during this evolution of newspapers in the digital age.

We hope readers of our newsletters build a habit and appreciation of Delaware State News content. And, in turn, we hope they will become subscribers.

Paid readership, indeed, is a critical aspect of our changing business model. It is what will allow local journalism to thrive in the future.

We need support to carry out our watchdog responsibilities, best representing and informing the public.

A good example of this can be found in our coverage of COVID-19 vaccinations in the past few weeks. The rollout has challenged Delawareans’ patience and understanding.

With every story, it seems readers raise more questions and concerns, and we are committed to trying to answer these questions and provide explanations.

Emails back from readers of the newsletters have been particularly rewarding.

A few days ago, a reader of the Latest on the Coronavirus newsletter said he liked the concise summary of data and facts.

“You are doing a real community service by providing this basic information,” he wrote.

Mission accomplished! We greatly appreciate such feedback.

***

Why “Daybreak”?

It plays off the colorful rising sun behind the state Capitol cupola in our masthead.

Let’s start a brand-new day together. See you in the morning!