"The Gayly" is going all digital
- by Robin Dorner
Editor in Chief
There is a crisis affecting local journalism. According to Poynter Business in Medill’s 2025 State of Local News report, 136 newspapers have closed over the past year, up from 130 the year before.
Fortunately, The Gayly has been working hard over the past six months to build our online presence. For the six years before, we posted very little online, except our monthly flip version of the print issue. During that time, we received 6-7,000 visits per month.
However, over the past six months, we have significantly expanded our online presence. In our January issue, we reported that since October 2025, our web visits had increased to 38,000 visitors per month. By February 6, when we posted the story online, we had had a record couple of weeks, and the online visitors averaged 95,000 over those past 30 days.
On February 23, the day we went to press, I looked at our 30-day past visitors, and it was an astounding 132,000! Each day, our efforts shine a little more. Our visits increase significantly on the days we publish local LGBTQ+ news. Rather than reading that in the print version, you’ll have to visit our website at www.gayly.com for those stories now.
Sadly, smaller newspapers are shutting down or reducing print frequency at an alarming rate, with over 3,200 vanishing since 2005 due to declining advertising, rising production costs, and a shift to digital consumption (Poynter). But it is what it is, and The Gayly can no longer sustain with rising costs of doing business.
These rising costs, we are told by those we do business with, are due to the tariffs. On November 2 of last year, we reported online (www.gayly.com and search for “The Gayly” incurs another printing price increase due to tariffs) that were blamed on chain disruptions, increased demand, and geopolitical events affecting the rate hikes.
Be that as it may, we can’t sustain these rising costs. We can’t raise the price of our advertising every time the printer decides to raise our costs, or the phone company, the electric company, or, well, you know what I mean. It’s all across the board.
At this time, we are converting our print ads to online ads at a greatly reduced rate. They will be in the flip version of The Gayly online. To view all current and past issues, except a few, go to www.gayly.com and click archives. From there, you can log in, or register to log in – it’s free! You have to provide your email address and save a password, but it’s just that simple.
People have asked if I feel like a “failure.” Not in the least. Since our return in March 2011, we have published some great news, especially our local news. That’s a challenge in the reddest of states. Our distribution has covered all of Oklahoma, southern Kansas, southern Missouri, most of Arkansas and the Texas Panhandle. Areas of this country that need our presence. That’s a victory!
Some have asked about my favorite stories, and there are so many dear to me. I have appreciated interviewing local non-profit leaders, activists, community leaders, politicians, and the thrill of covering so many events. You should see my photo library! When I’m old and gray, I’ll get to look back and remember all the wonderful people I met on this journey.
But I do have a favorite. It was actually a series of stories. There was a situation in which someone decided to commit theft and fraud against one of our local non-profit organizations, OKC Pride. It was a helluva scandal, and I was privy to the exclusive information from the immediate past president who uncovered it. I stand behind all our coverage of that, and you can find all of those stories also on our website if you want to take a stroll down memory lane.
For another stroll down memory lane, register and visit our archives. It’s free and very interesting to see how far we have come.
The Gayly was first published in October 1983, taking a break from 2006 to March of 2011. We’re not ready to give up yet.
Please follow The Gayly on social media as well.
The Gayly online. 3/16/26 @ 1:01 p.m. CST.