I see several decisions to be made about how to build such a newspaper:
[*my opinions in brackets & surrounded by asterisks*]
internet only, printed only, or a combination
[*combo* If only to archive the back issues on the net, keeping the geneologists digging
through obits out of the library/morgue]
published daily, weekly, monthly, ad hoc
[*the market will decide. but twice-weekly plus a weekend edition might be a good start. Special
editions if called for, extra print runs *BULLDOG EDITION* if called for- think elections and 09/11]
editorial only versus news and editorial
[*editorials, columns and letters in reply and guest editorials belomg on the editorial page. They'll
also get more readership if they're next to or between the comics and the classifiedads.*]
local only versus local and state/national
[*local, county, local, regional, local, state, local, national, local and world. In that order.*]
direct competition with existing paper or exploiting a niche
[*VERY rarely do two newspapers directly compete with each other, though fights for
advertiser dollars are not uncommon. There are exceptions; I was a syndicated columnist for a
small town [pop. 3,378] newspaper that was the smallest town in the country with two
competing daily newspapers...next door to each other. When the dust settled, we'd won, and
the other folks packed up shop and moved out of town. It got pretty dirty a couple of times.*]
advertiser supported versus paid subscription
[*The cover price of most smalltown dailies does NOT cover production costs.*]
distributed by mail, paper carrier, local public places
*You'll want that fourth-class rate mailing permit. Consider the effect of really lousy weather
on carrier delivery and think internet. Direct sales at gas stations/restaurants/groceries are a winner
for morning papers, less so for PM dailies.
I found a couple of newspaper trade groups. The American Newspaper Association is 'exclusive',
too exclusive for even traditional Wyoming papers. The National Newspaper Association is much
more open. They accept as members even occasional and online-only newspapapers. Annual
dues could be just a few hundred dollars. Best of all, this association seems like the standard
trade group for Wyoming's traditional newspapers. Join the NNA and watch the incumbent
players bite their tongue because it is harder to bad-mouth a member of the same association
that 'legitimizes' themselves.
I haven't researched the Wyoming Press Association, but understand they are active in
press freedom and open government meetings work.
[*You'll want to consider joining the Associated Press, too [it really is technically an association]
and probably APME, too. NPPA for your photogs, and IRE for some staff. Wyoming Press Assn
[WyoPress] info here: [urlhttp://www.wyopress.org/[/url] Press association deals can help the
classified ad dept out, too. Oh, and you'll want to subscribe to Editor & Publisher
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/index.jsp[/url and probably to Columbia Journalism Review [url]http://www.cjr.org/I have thought that entry could be pretty easy. Perhaps just an online paper for a while, then start printing a small run and distributing in local stores. Sell ads, start distributing by mail, print in color.
In terms of working with like-minded Wyoming newspapers, I noticed Wyoming's traditional newspapers have a consortium for reprinting each others' classified ads. Perhaps we could also share editorial and print other areas' local news when it has a broader interest.
The difference between a blog and a newspaper is a matter of how many hands are involved. A newspaper does not just cover one person's interests, polishes the writing more than a blog, and has an organizational consistency to it. Unfortunately, that means the one-person newspaper doesn't seem viable.
[*Some weeklies are pretty close to a one-man shop. And I can think of several papers that are family operations. But you've got the generalities down pretty good.*]
If you don't have a mega-budget to hire a dozen people to produce the paper, what can you do? Perhaps you can find someone who wants to edit or fact check or layout the paper. Believe it or not, not everyone wants to write but would still want to contribute. As a bonus, the writer may? need to be local, but the rest of the staff can be anywhere. Five different newspaper can share an editor. Stuck in Colofornia for a few more years? Why not accept fact-checking assignments. It is a way to join in and contribute without even being here. As more of a community project than a business venture, the staff can even self-finance.
Here are the job functions I have thought of:
publisher
editor
writer
fact-checker
layout
display ad sales
classified ad sales
computer support
[*printer/pressman- maybe obsolete*]
[*secretary/front desk/phones op*]
[*librarian/clipper/morgue*]
[*circulation manager]
[*circ runner*]
[*ad manager/runner*]
[*photogs*]
[*interns/cubs*]
[*stringers and freelancers*]
[*correspondents and columnists*]
[*the darkroom tech and linotype ops I once worked with are probably obsolete, and maybe
a couple of others too.*].
Remember that the newspapermen say "Whose bread I eat his song I sing." Watch out for your integrity. If you just do this for money you will end up another sell-out and then a fail-out. If you have better reasons you may also make a living.
Not the way we put it at the rags I worked on, but true. But not as true as
Freedom of the Press belongs to the man who owns one. Oh, and
You're only as good as your last story. One of my former editors was really fond of that oine.
I don't know if all this makes sense or not. I really don't know much about newspapers, and welcome all efforts to educate me on the subject. If we discuss this we can probably figure things out better than any of us could on our own.
Indiana University Journalism School, 1970-'72 [Ernie Pyle College of Newspaper Knowledge]
Chicago Daily News, 1970-'78, Photo Stringer and Special Projects Photog
Knox County Daily News [IN]1988-91 photog and Hiatt Newspapers syndicated columnist [Along The Way]
[1992 Beidler Award for Desert Shield/Storm/Sabre columns coverage]
Bitey Magazine, San Francisco [OJ Simpson trial coverage & followup investigative reporting]
World Net Daily 1997-2004 [stringer and Mid-South WND specxial projects investigator; Contributing Editor WND
Dispatches Magazine.
among a few other things....
If you are going to be at the Jam, I will bring my collection of newspapers and maybe we can talk about how this could work.
Paul
That will only work for those of us who can read. Someone will have to help me with the big words.