Flip through past issues of the Leader and you will learn a lot about our community. For three decades the Leader has served as the historian for our cities, school districts, neighborhoods and more.
It’s a role we take seriously.
The Leader not only records what happens in our community, but also it serves as a watchdog, keeping an eye on and reporting news about local government, elections and crime. The paper also tells you about the local business celebrating its 50th anniversary, the big Friday night football rivalry, the local student winning an art show and the upcoming festival. The Leader publishes obituaries, wedding and birth announcements and all kinds of other news that helps keep you informed about your community. A lot of those stories are clipped out of the paper and displayed on a fridge or bulletin board.
This combination of hard news and human interest stories does not just show up in your mailbox. It takes a lot of people, talent and resources to produce high quality journalism, which the Leader strives to make happen once a week, but never weakly.
Really, though, the Leader staff works to bring excellent journalism to our readers every day, with news stories posted to the paper’s website, myleaderpaper.com, seven days a week.
When the paper started in 1994, the model was simple. Advertising covered the cost to produce and deliver the news to our readers, who enjoyed it without forking over a penny. Well, the world has changed since then.
Thirty years ago, before I was born, we didn’t have social media platforms. Today, of course, people use those platforms to post messages about people, places and events, a lot of them containing incorrect information. Three decades ago local businesses did not have to compete with large online retailers either.
Those changes have affected the local business economy and, unfortunately, that translates into less advertising support for the Leader.
Our mission is to keep providing high-quality, local news for free to those who live in our communities. And, we are asking for your help to keep this mission going.
We asked our readers last year for support, and many of you stepped up and helped with donations, as well as letters and notes telling us how much the Leader means to you and the community. We are so grateful for that.
Now, we are asking for your continued support. There are several ways you can help keep your hometown newspaper going for years to come.
First, if you’re able, you may provide a bit of financial support. It costs the Leader about $45 dollars a year to mail the Leader directly to your mailbox. So, any donation you can spare will really help.
You may also help by supporting the businesses that advertise in the Leader newspapers and on the website. Our amazing local businesses are the reason you have been receiving the Leader free in your mailbox for 30 years. Tell local businesses when you’ve seen their ads in the Leader, use the coupons you find in the Leader and tell the businesses you appreciate their efforts to support local news. You could also ask your favorite local businesses if they have considered placing ads in the Leader.
Third, tell neighbors, coworkers, friends and family members about the Leader. Ask them if they get the Leader, and if they don’t, encourage them to sign up for a free subscription. We want everyone in the community to have access to the news happening in their towns and backyards.
This March we are holding our annual Support Local Journalism campaign. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you in advance for your support. It means the world to me and the whole Leader team.