By Steve T. Strickbine
President of Texas Local Media
“Welcome to Texas.”
That was how the gentleman on the other end of the phone greeted me.
For a moment I tried to place the voice. My day had already been full of calls. Some folks offered congratulations. Others were gentle but direct, reminding me of the long history and significance of the newspapers that had just changed hands.
This caller was another publisher. Someone who understood exactly what had just happened.
Times Media Group – the company I started in 1997 as a single 5,000-circulation newspaper – had just acquired Texas Local Media (also known as Moser Community Media) and its 32 community newspapers. In our business, news like that travels fast.
While operating newspapers in the great state of Texas represents new ground for me, becoming the owner and steward of historic community publications is not. I’ve spent the better part of my career doing exactly that. And over the years I’ve learned something that tends to surprise most people.
Running a successful community newspaper is not nearly as complicated as some make it out to be.
At its core, it simply requires a deep understanding of one thing and a firm belief in another. The understanding is that communities will always need reliable local news and information. The belief is that trusted local sources will only become more important as the world becomes louder, faster and more confusing.
Technology changes. Methods of delivery change. Printing presses turn into websites, mobile editions and social media feeds. But the reason community newspapers exist remains the same.
People want to know what is happening where they live.
They want to know which issues matter, what decisions are being made, which teams won, which businesses have opened, and which neighbors deserve recognition. Most importantly, they want that information to come from a source they know and trust.
In many ways, the job simply comes down to showing up, paying attention and caring about the place you are writing for. From what I’ve learned about the team here at Texas Local Media, I’m confident we have plenty of that.
I’ve also learned that every community newspaper, whether in Texas, Arizona, Colorado or California, shares something in common. The names of the streets change. The high school mascots change. The barbecue gets way, way better. But the heartbeat of each community newspaper remains the same, and it belongs to the people and the community it serves.
Something you may notice about our coverage over time is that the news and information produced by these publications will become more visible and accessible. We believe strongly in making local journalism available to as many people as possible. Whenever practical, we try to democratize the news by making it available free of charge.
Readers can still choose to have the newspaper delivered directly to their door for the modest cost of a subscription. Many still enjoy that ritual and we intend to continue providing that service. Others prefer their news digitally, which is why you will also find our publications arriving in email inboxes and appearing more frequently online.
This approach has not always been the Texas Local Media way. It is now.
Our goal is simple: we want the journalism produced here to reach more people in the communities it serves, not fewer.
Because at the end of the day, these publications are about something bigger than headlines and pages. They are about bringing communities together. A good community newspaper helps neighbors understand one another, celebrate one another and even disagree in productive ways.
When that happens, communities become stronger. And strong communities are very hard to tear apart.
We are proud to continue the work of strengthening communities here in Texas.
From where I sit, there is no more important job in journalism. And we intend to do it every day and do it well. If we succeed, we will exceed the standards of these fine newspapers and keep the promise we’ve made to you and your community – to tell your stories fairly, accurately and without bias.
