One year down – whew!

One year down – whew!

That marks one year of The Local, and I would like to thank the readers, volunteers, contributors and advertisers for all your support.

When I mentioned at home that I’d managed to publish a year’s worth of newspapers, my daughter remarked with mild surprise: “Hmm, and I thought this was going to be just another one of your ideas that goes nowhere.”

It’s true that I am known at home for my regular ‘bright ideas’ that fail to enthuse anyone else but myself.

But fortunately in this case I picked something I did know a bit about, and have a real passion for: local news.

Setting up a media outlet to deliver an actual newspaper at a hyper local suburb level has been a leap of faith, but I’m very glad I did it.

When you are a small operation, you ‘get’ to do most of the work, from planning, writing, advertising sales through to delivery and paying the bills.

As I (wisely) had no confidence that producing a paper would be a money-making venture, I still have my full time job which makes it all a bit of a juggle.

There’s no shortage of news, and in fact in this edition I was spoilt for choice of big stories to lead with.  It just goes to show how much gets missed when the main media organisations contract.

I am very grateful to my willing delivery people, who have walked the steep gradients of Mt Victoria to ensure we reach every (available) letterbox.

Thanks to the writers and contributors of news and information that have helped keep the paper fresh and informative, and huge thanks to Cherie and Nic at Home Studio who are responsible for the great design of the paper.

And I am super grateful to the growing band of advertisers who recognise the value in this local newspaper and the novelty of a print publication in the age of digital.

There is always a price to pay for taking on a new activity – not much housework has occurred this year, and the garden is looking like a jungle.  But getting feedback from local residents that they really appreciate hearing what’s going on in the community is what keeps me going. 

Have a great Christmas and New Year break, and see you next year!

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Give your feedback about The Local

It’s been a year of publishing this community newspaper for Mt Victoria.

It would be great to hear what you think about it, and any suggestions you may have for improving it. Please use the QR code to access the survey. It will take less than 5 minutes and your comments are anonymous.