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How to start and publish an independent Newspaper
Free Republic ^ | 09/21/2003 | Chad Fairbanks

Posted on 09/21/2003 4:12:17 PM PDT by Chad Fairbanks

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To: Chad Fairbanks
Maybe someone here can put you in touch with John Carlson, Kirby Wilbur, or Michael Medved - and if not, their email addresses are easy to get and you could just take a shot and see if they can help or know someone who can.
21 posted on 09/21/2003 5:00:28 PM PDT by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet ("Mary, help!" - General Wesley Clark, presidential candidate)
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To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
LOL I like your ideas, Daughter, about the radio staion partnerships and name.. Whether radio station would want to specifically be a partner is open to question, but loose partnerships should be workable - with different parties contributing bits.
22 posted on 09/21/2003 5:02:52 PM PDT by Libertina (Puget Sound FReeper Chapter Rocks!)
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To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
LOL... I actually like it, for some reason ;0)
23 posted on 09/21/2003 5:03:55 PM PDT by Chad Fairbanks ("People never grow up, they just learn how to act in public." - Bryan White)
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To: Chad Fairbanks
What might be good is if you could tie them together. A small paper with say, four or five articles, pointed to a large, online edition that was much more expansive. If you had a small printed edition with a few hard hitting articles, you might be able to drum up enough subscription revenues to support a website.
24 posted on 09/21/2003 5:04:23 PM PDT by djf
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To: riri
bkmk
25 posted on 09/21/2003 5:07:26 PM PDT by riri
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To: Chad Fairbanks
I worked for a college paper for a few months in college (at least until I got p'd at the managing editor, who told me in front of the entire staff that what I wrote was (bleep) and that I needed to learn how to write.) I walked out.

Ever since, I've done research in the business side of the newspaper publishing.

-Maigrey-
Meeman School of Journalism, UM, '98

26 posted on 09/21/2003 5:08:54 PM PDT by Maigrey (Logan for Pinup of the Year!)
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To: Chad Fairbanks
Chad, thanks for a great compilation and sharing your experience with us.

The question I have is this: why would you want to start a newspaper with clear diseconomies of scale (to be big is cheaper than small but requires huge funds to get there), when you can create a web site? The "distribution" of materials, as well as marketing, must be much cheaper.

27 posted on 09/21/2003 5:10:22 PM PDT by TopQuark
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To: Chad Fairbanks
Another thing to think about is the use of images: who will take the pictures, and have them developed (or will the images be digital, to save on some costs?)

Most images for newspapers look 100% better using a "real" camera rather than a less expensive digital camera. (the issue is resolution rates and image size for the computer systems.)

28 posted on 09/21/2003 5:10:53 PM PDT by Maigrey (Logan for Pinup of the Year!)
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To: Noachian
Just to dispute your comments, even if the paper in question is considered "centrist" the liberals would scream about it being a conservative paper.

The legalities could be handled on a case by case basis until the paper took off or folded.

But saying that it's a lost cause and not worth fighting for is foolish. That is what makes the fight that much worth it, and worth fighting for.

29 posted on 09/21/2003 5:14:06 PM PDT by Maigrey (Logan for Pinup of the Year!)
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To: TopQuark
The printed version could be the text side, where the online version could include the graphics. It goes without saying it would need a website, all businesses have websites, I think even bordellos have websites.
30 posted on 09/21/2003 5:14:07 PM PDT by djf
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To: djf
That's a great idea.
31 posted on 09/21/2003 5:14:30 PM PDT by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet ("Mary, help!" - General Wesley Clark, presidential candidate)
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To: Chad Fairbanks
Well, because of this threat, do we just roll over and not try? Because by doing that, they win.

You raise good, valid points, but to just give in means we lose by default. SOme things ARE worth fighting for, and our values should be one of them :0)

I agree completely with what you're saying. My point is that liberals have a double standard when it comes to ANYONE who opposes their point of view. I think we can both agree on that. They also have backing in the liberal media, in a liberal judiciary, and in advertisers who cater to liberals.

Ask yourself why there aren't any Conservative alternate newspapers on your local bookstore rack. Surely there must have been some Conservatives who had an itch to start their own newspaper. Sure, you'll see some small papers printed by local groups, but nothing like the alternates. Few ads, and few readers.

My own opinion on alternate newspapers is that they only publish in a city that will support their liberal views. This guarantees them a liberal readership and advertisers that cater to that readership. I doubt you'd find a liberal alternate in a Conservative stronghold.

So, taking the politics of your locale into consideration, and being wary of law suits, I'll wish you the best of luck and hope to read your paper one day.
32 posted on 09/21/2003 5:14:30 PM PDT by Noachian (Liberalism belongs to the Fool, the Fraud, and the Vacuous.)
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To: Libertina
Agreed, Libertina - maybe there are local well-known conservatives who would contribute a written piece on occasion.
33 posted on 09/21/2003 5:18:18 PM PDT by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet ("Mary, help!" - General Wesley Clark, presidential candidate)
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To: Maigrey
I never said it was a lost cause. I'm just pointing out some of the realities on the down side. Whether you make it or not is totally dependent on you.

Take a look at post number 32 post to Chad Fairbanks.
34 posted on 09/21/2003 5:19:54 PM PDT by Noachian (Liberalism belongs to the Fool, the Fraud, and the Vacuous.)
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To: Chad Fairbanks
I have a feeling that, even if you ran the "paper" as a centrist media, that most of the people who you deem as part of the paper's demographic would appreciate the lack of bias that most of the news that is currently being shoved down their throat.

The other issue that is causing problems for the paper media are the decline in advertising and advertising rates being charged to cover the media's costs.

See, papers don't recoup their funds from the paid subscriptions, but from the funding they receive from the advertisers. (In the editing room, the advertisements are laid out 24 to 36 hours ahead of time before the news is laid out! So, this should give you an idea what drives papers. (Hint: it's not the writers....)

So, if you wanted to make it succeed, as a public company, you;ll need some driven sales force people. (gag, I know...)

35 posted on 09/21/2003 5:20:21 PM PDT by Maigrey (Logan for Pinup of the Year!)
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To: Chad Fairbanks
Well you know, that's another thing to think about - the tone you want to set, starting with the name.

An armadillo is a very conservative creature, if you think about it. It needs a hard shell to survive because it gets pelted all the time. ; )

If this is your brainchild, something tells me it's going to have a humorous edge - which I think is good, because people who aren't interested in reading something that is labeled "right-wing" and appears heavy might pick up a paper with a provocative, funny name, have a laugh or two (at the expense of the commies : ), and start thinking.

Maybe that's not the idea - maybe you want to aim right for the people who are already solidly conservative...but it's stuff to ponder.
36 posted on 09/21/2003 5:23:17 PM PDT by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet ("Mary, help!" - General Wesley Clark, presidential candidate)
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To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
Right now, the goal is reasearch, thinking, planning, and discussion on what the best way to go is, and how to get there...
37 posted on 09/21/2003 5:31:30 PM PDT by Chad Fairbanks ("People never grow up, they just learn how to act in public." - Bryan White)
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To: Chad Fairbanks
Notice how all the "free" newspapers (ie, newspapers whose costs are 100% supported by ads) are extreme Leftist, while conservative journals like National Review are mostly supported by subscription, and places like FR are 100% financed by readers. When you have a situation like that, widespread throughout the country, it makes sense to assume that it's not coincidence, but a symptom of a systemic problem

Leftists and Conservatives do not behave the same. Leftists LOVE to harass and boycott any company that supports the Right. The Right does not throw rocks thru a company manager's window merely because the company bought add space in a Leftist publication. Therefore, companies that just want to make a peaceful profit shy away from "controversial" (ie Rightwing) publications.

38 posted on 09/21/2003 5:31:49 PM PDT by SauronOfMordor (Java/C++/Unix/Web Developer === (Finally employed again! Whoopie))
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To: TopQuark
You raise an interesting point... However, on the flip side, I meet people in my own neighborhood who can't afford a computer, let alone an interent account. I'ts a sad reality. All these people know is what they see on the 6 o'closk news, or wahtever they can glean from the headlines they see in the store.

That's not to say that online isn't the way to go, but part of the idea is to reach new people...
39 posted on 09/21/2003 5:33:10 PM PDT by Chad Fairbanks ("People never grow up, they just learn how to act in public." - Bryan White)
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To: djf
A very interesting idea...
40 posted on 09/21/2003 5:34:40 PM PDT by Chad Fairbanks ("People never grow up, they just learn how to act in public." - Bryan White)
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