While there have been many local family-owned newspapers that have either been sold to a corporation or simply closed, the Fillmore County Journal has been fortunate to remain healthy and sustainable. But, this is only possible because we have an amazing team working at the newspaper and a tremendously supportive community. We have readers who help guide the ship for what type of content they want to see in the newspaper, offering up story ideas on a regular basis. And, we have businesses who show their support with sponsorships and advertisements.
I believe that being an independent, family-owned newspaper makes a big difference. We are nimble, responsive and accessible to our readers and advertisers.
As we have expanded our newspaper coverage area to more than double what it was back in 2009, now hovering around 18,400 households, we have continuously increased our investment in the communities we serve.
When we make a commitment to a community, we want to make sure every household receives our newspaper. We want to make sure we cover their city and school government meetings. And, we work with local businesses to give them opportunities to connect with readers through a variety of advertising programs.
When we make that commitment and it works, those communities benefit in various ways. Along with local news coverage about what decisions are being made at local government meetings, they also receive our award-winning local sports coverage. The business community benefits with stories about anniversaries, new ventures, and change of ownership. We promote the farming communities with local stories and special sections. We recognize the local emergency responders. We offer opportunities to participate in our awards recognition for Teacher of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, and Businessperson of the Year. We share inspiring stories about your family and friends overcoming challenges. We share recipes, history, police reports, obituaries, and everything in between.
When we make a commitment to any community we serve, we are all in.
As I reflect on our past and attempt to predict the future, I know one thing is for sure. People make the difference. We’ve had amazing members of the FCJ team over the past four decades, and we continue to attract talent that helps us produce an award-winning publication.
During our monthly team meetings, I’ve often said that where we are today is better than where we were three to five years ago. And three to five years from now, we should strive to be better than where we are today. Continuous improvement is an important part of our evolution as a business and as a newspaper.
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