First, my apologies in the delay in getting you this long
overdue communication.As many of you have
realized, we have stopped sending the weekly e-news and posting news to the
website following the conclusion of the World Tea Expo in mid-June.
There were some ancillary events that expedited this
decision, but the primary reason has been the overdue need for us to re-tool
the World Tea News site and business model.Many of you are aware of the
challenges facing news organizations and publications in today’s market.Major newspapers have collapsed and print
trade publications are a dying breed as a result of a massive shift in
advertising dollars into digital media.While we have become accustomed to information over the internet being
free, the cost of producing quality content is not.
From the onset of creating the World Tea News we believed
that a digital platform offers the best medium.Relevant news is delivered immediately, not weeks after it happens, and
multiple resources can be available at the click of a mouse.To
date, we have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into creating,
developing, and publishing WTN.We
believe it is an important product for our industry and community to continue
to flourish.And with over 8,000
subscribers, we believe you agree.
Over the coming months, we will be redeveloping the World
Tea News to offer an even more robust resource for you and your business.We will be conducting a series of surveys and
organize focus groups to accomplish this goal.The new model will continue to allow free basic access to information and
offer premium content for paid subscribers.The nominal monthly subscription fee will allow us to continue to invest
in our common goal of increasing awareness and consumption of specialty and
premium tea in North America.
We thank you for your past, present, and future interest and
loyalty to the World Tea News.
Sincerely,
George Jage
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