Your Community Newspaper Loves You

I recently read a New York Times article that made the case for community newspapers like the Chautauqua Gazette. “Weeklies,” as we are known in the publishing world, tend to present more of an ongoing overview of local businesses, organizations and events rather than the hard news coverage of the day. Community papers are typically just that: a showcase of one’s community. And that “just” can make all the difference.

While statistics and downsized operations show that “daily” newspaper readership across the country is, in general, on an unfortunate decline, this New York Times article argues that many weeklies are holding strong based upon community connectedness. The author points to good old fashioned “shoe leather” as one rationale, and uses as examples several thriving weeklies that “pound the pavement” selling ads, distributing papers and interfacing directly with their loyal readership. Relationships, relationships, relationships! All of these things are packed within a trusted source of community pride in print. “The feel-good paper.” The free coffee shop pick. That’s your Chautauqua Gazette and the hundreds of other thriving weeklies across the country.

Please be clear: I’m not suggesting that weeklies are somehow a better newspaper than our trusted dailies like the Post-Journal and Dunkirk Observer. To the contrary, we pay respectful deference to these publications’ superior role in news coverage. They continue to provide our community with strong reporting and delve deep to keep us informed. As always, we implore you to keep reading and supporting all types of local media!

We are, however, suggesting our local realization of this New York Times argument. While weeklies are not producing hard hitting news stories nor breaking news, we do appear to be landing a very strong place in the hearts of our readers with feature writing, small business appreciation and community highlights. As consistently researched, many free weeklies still enjoy a demand in their respective communities. We can attest to that blessing when we are both thrilled (and of course, concerned) to receive multiple calls, emails and even snail mails from readers each week patiently upset that they couldn’t find a Gazette at one of their usual distribution locations. Not to mention the fact that we’ve maximized our print numbers to what we can afford and our volume is still not enough. That, dear readers, is a very good problem to have.

All this being said, our theme this week is simply a thank you for reading. Thank you for being the type of community that loves our community, that wakes up every Monday racing to beat your neighbors to the Chautauqua Gazette stands and calling me to please print more. We love and appreciate you!