For a time there were 2 local papers in my hometown of 7,000. The original one eventually was sold to a big holding company, the other was started by a couple of local brothers. My dad didn't always agree with the brothers' editorials, but he wanted local news reporting and good writing, and that's what he got with the Storm Lake Times. The film "Storm Lake" addresses the problem of news deserts. It made the rounds of film festivals and small theaters, then larger ones, and eventually even overseas. It recently has been shown in Eastern Europe. The brothers gained attention by being awarded a Pulitzer Prize, the film was shown on PBS, subscriptions rose, and their locally owned paper bought out the other. I have been a subscriber for most of 50 years, and I still learn a lot from it.
I watched the trailer after you mentioned this film. Really cool. I'm looking forward to watching it soon. One of the takeaways from the WNA conference is that local news publishers are scrappy! These guys seem to fit that description.
Yes. I went to college in Decorah, at Luther, and am interested in small newspapers as well as the struggles facing smaller towns and rural areas. So it was a great group to join!
I have never been to Deborah, but I have heard many good things over time about that town and Luther too. Art's Cullen's book touched on things the film did not, delving a little more deeply into politics, immigration, industrial agriculture, etc. Art would have been in my class had he not attended the Catholic school in SL. Often the old paper didn't give that school or population a lot of press, and Art has been much more inclusive even of that.
Great article Emily! I remember picking up the Chicago Tribune for the first time and reading Mike Royko’s column. I was probably about 8 years old. I didn’t really understand what he was talking about but loved his wit, and poured over his work any time I could get my hands on it (midway through your piece I stopped and bought a book of his collected work).
I miss newspapers, ads don’t flash at you out of every corner or your eye like the paper I subscribe through with an app; it isn’t a local paper either and even in Madison I find it hard to get the local news I WANT and often have to find it on Reddit.
It will be interesting to see if local reporters like your self use Substack as an outlet, or maybe local entrepreneurs start small papers like observer in coming years. Some Madison neighborhoods have local papers, including the suburb I live in, which I appreciate.
The question I have is, what is a five-letter city on the Nile? Alt: Is there a template for local newspapers to survive, or is it a decentralized ambit of independent citizen journalists? I haven’t a clue.
Fond memories of my dad reading the "funnies" to me before I could read them myself. "The paper" was always on the breakfast table before we left for the day for work and school. It was a part of daily life.
For a time there were 2 local papers in my hometown of 7,000. The original one eventually was sold to a big holding company, the other was started by a couple of local brothers. My dad didn't always agree with the brothers' editorials, but he wanted local news reporting and good writing, and that's what he got with the Storm Lake Times. The film "Storm Lake" addresses the problem of news deserts. It made the rounds of film festivals and small theaters, then larger ones, and eventually even overseas. It recently has been shown in Eastern Europe. The brothers gained attention by being awarded a Pulitzer Prize, the film was shown on PBS, subscriptions rose, and their locally owned paper bought out the other. I have been a subscriber for most of 50 years, and I still learn a lot from it.
I watched the trailer after you mentioned this film. Really cool. I'm looking forward to watching it soon. One of the takeaways from the WNA conference is that local news publishers are scrappy! These guys seem to fit that description.
There's just no substitute for local news.
Loved the book; read it as part of a book study for alumni and friends of my Alma Mater. Highly recommend it!!
You read "Storm Lake"? I wondered if anyone without ties to the town read it.
Yes. I went to college in Decorah, at Luther, and am interested in small newspapers as well as the struggles facing smaller towns and rural areas. So it was a great group to join!
I have never been to Deborah, but I have heard many good things over time about that town and Luther too. Art's Cullen's book touched on things the film did not, delving a little more deeply into politics, immigration, industrial agriculture, etc. Art would have been in my class had he not attended the Catholic school in SL. Often the old paper didn't give that school or population a lot of press, and Art has been much more inclusive even of that.
Great article Emily! I remember picking up the Chicago Tribune for the first time and reading Mike Royko’s column. I was probably about 8 years old. I didn’t really understand what he was talking about but loved his wit, and poured over his work any time I could get my hands on it (midway through your piece I stopped and bought a book of his collected work).
I miss newspapers, ads don’t flash at you out of every corner or your eye like the paper I subscribe through with an app; it isn’t a local paper either and even in Madison I find it hard to get the local news I WANT and often have to find it on Reddit.
It will be interesting to see if local reporters like your self use Substack as an outlet, or maybe local entrepreneurs start small papers like observer in coming years. Some Madison neighborhoods have local papers, including the suburb I live in, which I appreciate.
It's an exciting time to be a writer, I think.
The question I have is, what is a five-letter city on the Nile? Alt: Is there a template for local newspapers to survive, or is it a decentralized ambit of independent citizen journalists? I haven’t a clue.
Cairo.
Fond memories of my dad reading the "funnies" to me before I could read them myself. "The paper" was always on the breakfast table before we left for the day for work and school. It was a part of daily life.
Very cool to get a local perspective on the book itself! I love the way connections cross and intersect!!!