Why start a newspaper

Why Start a Newspaper?
The key to starting any new business is desire. Everything else you can either buy, make, or learn. If you have no desire to be involved with your local area, to work hard to get the story straight, to help keep some balance on the news while keeping people informed, then you should look at some other way of making a living. Newspaper publishing is sometimes a thankless job, no matter where you serve. And it can mean odd hours, long days (and nights), unexpected travel, threatening phone calls and letters from lawyers, and any number of other things that most normal people might prefer to avoid.

No matter how you write up a story on local issues, someone is going to think that you pander to the" other side." And no matter how many games you cover for the local schools, the one you miss because of traffic or bad weather (or who knows what) is the one everyone will remind you (for years to come) that you didn't personally cover. And there are the photos. It is a good idea to take way more than you think you could ever need because getting a good one is not guaranteed, no matter how much you pay for the camera, and something always goes wrong.

A pet peeve of readers is misspelled personal and place names, not to mention typos and other errors in all the other words. A pet peeve of editors and publishers is putting in one or two all-nighters trying to meet a deadline, only to see huge errors in main one or more headlines as soon as the paper comes off the press. Such things can take a lot of the joy out of publishing a paper.

But then there are all the joys. Give me a few days and I'll remember one. Just kidding.




Taking photos of kids doing just about anything is fun. Interviewing people who have lived long and interesting lives is another special bonus. You get invited to many of the very best events when you run the local paper. And you had better show up, too. You get to meet all the people who make things happen. You get to tour the new jail, the new hotel, the new school, the new stadium. You get pictures of new babies, young couples who are engaged, and even pictures of pets. You get the latest information from the forest service, and you get to sell ads to the new businesses in town. You hear all the funny things that happened last week, and you also hear about the latest equipment purchased by the fire department.

If you like people (or at least most of them, most of the time), then you may really enjoy running a local paper. You have the opportunity to brag on everyone's kids when they do well in spelling bees, math contests, debates and footballs games. You can interview anyone in the area with a story to tell, instead of wondering if the reporter is telling the truth. You have the chance to encourage good things that are in the works, and the chance to report problems that really need attention. And you can complain. Sometimes, a newspaper shining some light on a problem caused by the state or other "powers that be" can help get things done.

While other people may be wringing their hands over a situation, your paper may actually help the community to take some real action. If nothing else, you can give your community a clear and present voice. And sometimes that makes all the difference in the world. Your paper can help improve the lives of very quiet and very "small" people in the region, not to mention the lives of pets, wildlife and other living creatures. Your paper can become a force for good simply by reporting the news fairly, clearly and accurately.



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