FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK: Who puts the color in our communities?

By VERNON ROBISON

This week’s edition marks the beginning of the twentieth year of color in The Progress newspaper. The first time that this publication appeared in vivid full color format was on December 22, 2004. Since that week, The Progress has featured full color in every subsequent edition.

Each year, this week poses something of a personal landmark for me. That is because, that first color edition went out only about two months after I had taken over management of The Progress.

As I remember it, that transition was quite a challenge. Back then I thought that I had been through quite an ordeal. A full color edition was something that our organization had never done before. It had taken several weeks of hard work to prepare for it. So it felt like a pretty big deal at the time.

Little did I know what changes would lie ahead for us in the ensuing years. The Great Recession, the housing crisis, the proliferation of social media, the COVID-19 pandemic: all of these challenges and more have made those logistical challenges of developing a color format seem like nothing at all. And who knows what challenges will be coming up next?

In any case, those first couple of months at the till of The Progress seem like a lifetime ago. A lot has happened since that time. Running a small town newspaper has never been boring. There is always something new popping up involving community members, their activities and the local issues that concern them most.

Perhaps the most impactful change that has taken place in the past 20 years was the unique set of circumstances that compelled us to expand our coverage and distribution, and to begin serving both of our valleys together under a single community newspaper. That was a daunting task to be sure. At times in those first few months of 2020, the learning curve seemed nearly vertical. And the COVID restrictions certainly didn’t help. But The Progress has clearly benefitted, grown and even improved because of this major change. I would venture to say that our two communities have as well.

That difficult transition into a two-valley newspaper is actually what saved The Progress from the financial ravages of COVID. Many businesses like ours didn’t make it. I am convinced that this newspaper would never have survived through the spring of 2020, if it had not been for that decision – and for the combined support of readers and business owners in both valleys that resulted. To this day I am both humbled and grateful for that support.

But the newspaper business in the 21st century never seems to be able to get out of danger. The wolf is always at the door. Covering the news of one small town – much less two thriving communities – doesn’t come easily, nor does it come cheap. The costs of producing content, laying it out graphically, printing it and distributing it every week is staggering. And it is always on the rise – especially in these inflationary times.

Being a free publication, as we are, none of these costs are currently being bourne by our readership. Rather the high cost of the reliable weekly news coverage that we provide has always been paid by local business advertisers.

Therefore, I would like to pay tribute to these, my loyal small-town business associates. I want to give credit where the credit is due. Any and all community benefits that have been derived over the years from having a reliable, free and local news source are due to the small business owners in our two valleys.

Of course, the primary reason that these folks choose to regularly advertise in our pages is, and ought to be, to convince and cajole local shoppers to shop locally. That is a vitally important message, and this newspaper makes no bones about trumpeting it loud and clear every chance we get. Given our broadly engaged and loyal readership, we believe that The Progress still stands on its own feet as a highly effective and locally-focused advertising medium.

But the decision of local business owners to advertise locally goes far beyond that. Our advertisers also have the vision to recognize the benefits of having a locally-owned and -managed news source.

They recognize it as a benefit to the community and to their businesses. In advertising here, they are supporting a local asset that needs preserving. And most importantly, they have made the larger work of The Progress possible. Their support ahs enabled us to continue covering these communities in our pages like no one else would if The Progress were absent.

So I would just conclude this week’s column by urging our dear readers to look closely at this special holiday edition of The Progress. Take a little of your time-off from work this week and actually see the greetings and messages offered here by the local business owners. Pay attention to them. Take note of who they come from, and recognize the community-minded spirit at the heart of their messages.

For twenty years now, through good times and bad, local merchants have generously put the color into The Progress; and, in more ways than one, into our communities. These good people work hard every day to earn our loyal support. In the coming New Year, I urge our readers to reciprocate that by giving them the support they deserve.

Finally I would like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas! I hope that your lives are blessed on this festive and holy day, and throughout the coming New Year.
And thank you, one and all, for reading The Progress!