I was driving up to Sundance today, and grabbed a few newspapers on the way up, and my first thought was that even here, even in small towns like Lusk, they are still liberal rags. My first thought after that was that this was an opportunity for someone. I had a couple thoughts on the way that I'll throw out here, just in case they are any help.
Any newspaper should have real news, and be as objective about the facts as possible, with editorial content clearly labeled as such. That does not mean it can't have a free market, small government slant, but it has to provide real news. People won't read a propaganda paper, but they will read something that provides them real value, even if a little propaganda is mixed in.
The paper should be sold, not free. Every city I've lived in has had its alternative free paper. Everybody picks one up, but I don't think most people actually read them. People don't value what they get for nothing. In addition, this provides solid circulation numbers for real advertisers. Worse, with the type of ads the free papers attract, they become known as the place to look if you want to hire a stripper or call-girl, but not much else. Nobody thinks twice about the fifty cents or a dollar the paper costs, it's the symbolism of having to open the wallet or dig for change and pay something that makes them committed to actually reading it.
A regional paper might be more useful than a city paper. I get the feeling that people out here are interested in more than just what happens in their city. For instance, many things in Newcastle might be of interest to people in Sundance, and happenings in Gilette probably affect people all over that corner of the state.
I have an unofficial motto: "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing for profit". That's not as crass as it sounds, and of course it does not apply to everything. But if you believe in the free market, one of the implications of that is the belief that the market is a source of discipline and also a feedback mechanism to assure you that you are providing real value to your customers. If you do it for free, or only as a "labor of love", you might not find out that you're doing it wrong until it's too late. In addition, if it is something valuable to people, your profit allows you to spend more time and resources providing as much value as you possibly can.
Take this for what it's worth, I'm no expert. And if I ever do get out here, will you hire me to do some writing?
--Kyle Bennett