Finding gifts at year's end

We stand on a precipice.

No. I don’t mean the state of the world, the environment, or the social structure of our entire society.

What I mean is quite simple. Quite physical. It is set in time and space.

It is the space between the ending of one year and the beginning of the next. (It’s this weekend!)

I am excited to stand on this precipice. This rather momentous precipice. It is a chance to take stock and prepare ourselves for our year ahead.

In this moment, I muse about the newspaper.

We’ve had a good year.

As you can imagine, there is a bit of worry in terms of ever-changing trends and the future of newspapers. However, I'm bullish that the paper is an asset to the community and that as an asset it will be supported (which has been our experience this year. (Thank you all.)

Our long-time advertisers are steady, and while some businesses have gone out, there are some among the new ones who have come in and are effectively using the paper to reach new customers.  Our subscribers continue to engage with us.

We are maintaining two newsletters, email alerts, really.  (You can sign up here.) One goes out on Wednesday afternoon with selected stories of the week. The other is out on Friday, providing easy links to our blogs and columns.

(Producing a series of newsletters that curate content for readers is the newest task to be added to the list of what one does nowadays when you run a newspaper. Truly, we used  to produce only a print paper. Then, we needed to add a digital presence. Then, social media. And finally, a series of newsletters. Undoubtedly there’s more. There’s always more, yes?)

Which is to say that in reflecting on the year, I am pleased that we are keeping up with the changing nature of news organizations. And that we will continue to change in the year ahead.

I’m excited to be exploring more multi-media stories. (Adding sound really does deepen the experience. I loved hearing the sound of nursing bear cubs!  I find it amazing that TRR nature writer Scott Rando has the experience of crawling into that cave. I want to hear more about that!)

So, I am hopeful that even in this time of upheaval, especially in the news industry, that we’re flowing with the nature of change. 

And with that change, we truly do have an opportunity to deepen our connection to our role, our passion, and our vocation as “The news source for the Upper Delaware since 1975.” 

What a gift!

Thanks all for the great year.  Here’s to the one ahead!