Publisher’s Perspective: Celebrating 27 Years

Publisher’s Perspective: Celebrating 27 Years

– By Josh Warburton –

Often I use “Publisher’s Perspective” as the headline for my (semi) monthly articles, largely because they are then all easy for folks to know they are coming from me, and it’s mostly short, leaving more room for my thoughts. This piece, however, is a bit more of the perspective of a publisher as I’m writing about newspaper publishing this time.

Publishing anything for any length of time is a challenge. Whether it be a book, magazine, newspaper, newsletter, or website, it’s very detail-oriented and exists in a forever-changing landscape. Those changes in the landscape hit a bit harder this month when I recently read that as of February 22, Iron County Today is no longer being published. This follows the ceasing of operations of the only commercial radio station in Page, AZ at the end of last year, and along with it, their printed visitor guide and website. Page’s “local” newspaper also shifted operations last year to Globe, AZ, over 300 miles away.

This is notable as the twenty-plus year shift in people’s news consumption habits continues to move readers online, and along with them, the advertising dollars, which now go largely to Google and Facebook and not to the local mom-and-pop publications. Consolidations have occurred, and newsrooms have been hollowed out or shuttered. Publications have closed, and printing presses are being sold, disassembled, and moved to more profitable markets. This affects the rest of us still producing printed papers, and we have not been immune to it.

In June of 2021, we geared up to send our files to our printer of nearly a decade only to be told that they could not print our paper at the page count we were requesting and in the turnaround time required. This was due in part to major consolidation where our printer had taken on dozens of new clients after a large print competitor closed their doors. And while rather shocking, we were lucky enough to find another printer in our region (Arizona) who was able to print our paper the next day and get it to us by our regular publishing day of the first Friday of the month. Then, just over a year later, and as we prepared to send our files, we were told by our Arizona printer that they’d been sold but that another sister press also in Arizona could print us. With no notice to make a deliberate choice as to where we have our paper printed, we went with the flow and had this new printer print for us, and things went fine…until they didn’t. Just a few months in and after turning in our files for our monthly print, we were told that we’d not be getting our paper delivered on time, due to a press breakdown and for the fact that this press runs nearly 24 hours per day. We were behind several other publications that were also waiting to get their publication printed. Luckily the printer was able to shift a couple of things around and essentially bump us up in the schedule so we could get our paper on time and deliver it on our regular schedule.

This brings me around to a topic I frequently write about in my columns, and that’s gratitude. As we celebrate 27 years this month publishing The Independent, I am so grateful to be able to still have a viable business and for our communities to have this outlet. People rarely know what goes on behind the scenes, and it’s a good reminder that things are often more difficult than they appear. I can’t imagine we’ll still be publishing in another 27 years, so just like everything else in our short lives, enjoy it while you have it. Happy reading!

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