Now that Herald Media has sold off suburban newspapers in order to free the Boston Herald of debt, the newspaper must continue its local coverage while reaching out to younger readers, and may need to make more radical changes - like abandoning print altogether - to stay afloat as newspaper circulation declines and fewer cities are able to support two dailies, writes the Associated Press (via MediaBuyerPlanner).

To compete with its larger competitor, the Boston Globe, the Herald may need to adapt a different editorial tone, switch to free distribution (copies currently sell for 50 cents at newsstands) and/or go to an exclusively online distribution, said outsiders.

"What I would do is make the Herald a 21st Century tabloid newspaper-slash-information source, and put a lot of my focus online," said Tobe Berkovitz, Boston University's College of Communication associate dean.