Publishers Perspective: Life Is Full Of Change
– By Josh Warburton –
Life is full of change, and many of us are experiencing it right now. It could be work or family-related, a seasonal change, or simply moving into a different phase of life. All of those are true for me right now.
After a very challenging year of working two jobs, I realized that I was going to have to make some changes to my business, this newspaper. Before Covid hit, I had built it to a point where it was practically on autopilot. We had enough customers for me to work relatively part-time, produce what I felt was a high-quality publication and website, and get a decent paycheck.
That all changed during COVID as so many arts and entertainment organizations shuttered or paused. Our business dropped off a cliff, but roughly half of our advertisers kept running, as they were primarily retail with annual agreements. We were lucky enough to get two of those PPP loans, and we could maintain all of our staff. But frankly, it’s never been the same.
Some of those organizations shut down for good. And while some new ones have popped up, it’s still not to the point it was pre-2020.
We have also had five more years now of people aging and habits changing. Remarkably, though, our print circulation is roughly the same as it was 10 years ago, and online readership is strong.
This March edition marks the beginning of our 30th year and my 30th year as publisher of this little newspaper. It has been a heck of a ride, and I am proud of what we have accomplished over these 29 years.
We’ve given countless writers and contributors a platform to express themselves. We have published thousands and thousands of articles highlighting the best of what Southern Utah has to offer—truly our core mission.
And this mission continues with this issue. As I mentioned last month, we have doubled down on our local arts and entertainment coverage, producing roughly 50% more local event spotlights both in print and online at suindependent.com.
I only recently realized that The Spectrum, where I got my start as a paperboy, mailroom worker, then classified paginator, had moved to all national and no local news. All the more reason for us to expand and enhance our local events coverage. We hope you’ve been enjoying the additional content; it’s been fun to be highlighting more of the very best of Southern Utah.
If you’ve got an event or happening, please reach out. We’d love to share your creations with our audience. Message us using our email listed in the contents section, and please follow us on social media.
Happy reading!
