Times are tough, but each week we strive to offer real value

The Kentish Gazette has been covering life in Canterbury since 1717.

During our long history, one thing has remained constant - our commitment to reporting truthfully and transparently.

Today, we need to remain true to that commitment by being upfront about the fact we are asking you to pay a little more for the Gazette and its award-winning journalism.

It is no secret that the last few years have been tough on the local press, with much of our traditional advertising disappearing online to Google and Facebook.

We are reaching more people than ever before though the combination of our newspaper, website Kentonline, and app IM News.

But the truth is, the money we make from online advertising does not come close to covering the revenue we have lost to the social media and search platforms. That situation has worsened dramatically during the pandemic and we are losing money each week.

Put simply, the Gazette does not have a sustainable future unless we can fund the cost of our journalism in other ways.

Our team live locally and, like you, care passionately about the area we serve.

It is our sincere hope that you value your Gazette enough to feel 10p more a week is a fair price to pay. We know we are far from alone in suffering the financial fallout from the pandemic, and that price increases are never welcome. We have tried to be a voice for our many independent shops and traders. With your help, we can continue to be that voice.

At the same time, we are working to ensure our loyal readers can avoid the cover price increase through our subscription offers. Your Gazette is also available each week via our app, IM News, as a digital edition which can be read on a device of your choice - desktop computer, tablet or phone.

By subscribing to the app you also get access to all of our other titles across Kent and further afield every week.

You will also get access to daily editions of your newspaper on tablet, a live feed of breaking news, national stories and interactive daily puzzles.

Sign up at subsaver.co.uk, with your first month free (see opposite page).

We thank you for your continued support.