The Leader wants to hear what matters most to you.
Leader Publications is asking readers to share their thoughts about what kinds of news they want and need at one of two scheduled Community Listening Events.
“We want to hear from our readers,” said Katelyn Mary Skaggs, digital marketing manager for Leader Publications, which publishes three newspapers that cover different parts of Jefferson County and one that covers Eureka. “What issues in the community concern you? What’s not being covered enough? Who’s not being served? How could we improve?
“I am excited to hear from our readers and listen to feedback from our community. We are going to listen, take notes and come up with a plan to shape future special projects and reporting that address the community’s concerns. What matters to you matters to the Leader.”
The first Community Listening event will be from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at Pothos Coffee, 105 Market St., in Kimmswick. A second opportunity for the community will be held from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, at the Festus Public Library, 400 W. Main St.
The Leader also will have a listening table at the Eureka Senior Expo on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at the Timbers of Eureka, 1 Coffey Park Lane.
Readers who are unable to attend one of the events may visit myleaderpaper.com/listening to fill out a survey, or they may email katelynmary@myleaderpaper.com to share thoughts.
Leader Publications was one of 17 news organizations across the nation selected for the Lab for Journalism Funding. The lab, operated by the Local Media Association (LMA) with support from the Google News Initiative, will help the newspaper develop and execute strategies to fund essential local journalism via philanthropy.
The six-month intensive lab began in August and runs through January 2025.
Skaggs said part of the lab is community listening and asking readers for ideas about how to better serve them.
Leader Publications is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
On Aug. 25, 1994, the company launched its first newspaper – the
Jefferson County Leader, which serves the south part of the county. Since then, it has added two more weekly newspapers – the Arnold-Imperial Leader and the West Side Leader – and a bi-weekly paper, the Eureka Leader.
All four papers are delivered free in the mail to the 150,000 or so Leader readers.
The Leader also has a website at myleaderpaper.com.