Head Publishing, LLC., is joining other newspaper companies across the nation raising the cost of publications.
The Waycross Journal-Herald, currently $1 at newstands, will sell for $1.50 beginning Tuesday, April 1, owners Sandy and Rick Head said.
“Sandy and I are not making this decision lightly,” said Publisher Rick Head. “I understand many of our subscribers and those who purchase off the rack are facing your own financial challenges. We have fought price increases each of the six years we have published the Waycross Journal- Herald and over the last year with The Blackshear Times.
“Many communities with weekly publications have already made the switch to $1.50 per weekly edition. Unfortunately, it is the time we are living in where prices for every thing we buy have skyrocketed enormously.”
Several reasons are the cost of printing, which has risen nearly 35 percent in the last six years. Another is the rising cost of mailing papers, up nearly 40 percent during the same period.
“Our loyal customers are going to be hurt with the increase,” said Head.
The on-again, off-again saga with the tariffs has printers trying to find cheaper products in the United States.

Head
The decision to slap 25 percent tariffs on lumber products (like newsprint) coming out of Canada, and 25 percent tariffs on metals (used in printing plates) coming in from basically everywhere else, are causing production costs for the newspaper to go up 25 percent.
More than 50 members of Congress wrote to the Commerce Department about the issue. Bills also have been introduced in both bodies of Congress to pause the tariffs.
Ultimately, the United States International Trade Commission overturned the tariffs, ruling that Canadian paper imports did not hurt American paper producers.
“We are in a challenging time for local media,” Head said. “We’ve held our subscription rates steady for the past six years. Our rates could increase as we move forward in the year.
“Those who have already renewed their subscription since December 2024 are good until it runs out. Sandy and I have not formalized details for the future.”
Current subscription rates for the WJH are $45 in Ware County and $50 elsewhere for one year. The Eedition is free with a subscription.
The cost for the E-edition only is $40 in county/$45 for out of county.
Daily publications in Austin, Texas, Boston, New York and Los Angeles now cost $650-plus a year.