Letting Go

OK, I quit the newspaper as managing editor. Trouble is I’m a co-founder as well. The legal papers say three of us own equal parts of the paper. I don’t know how that figures because we have differing dollars invested in the paper. In fact the other two were funding our operations without my knowing it because at the time my finances were in shambles.

We have managed to pay down those interest-free loans. In my case entirely paid off. But then I didn't lend the enterprise a lot of money. Later I couldn't lend it any.  But the other two guys kept writing checks. A lot of them.

Yes, we have paid one down to only a working balance of about $5000. The other co-founder probably has $10,000 riding on the books.  If the newspaper closes its doors, they don’t get paid. I don’t like that very much. I’d rather we kept the paper going until we can pay the two guys off completely. If we can do that, we are also saving the paper for the community. And that I like a whole lot.

We started the paper for the community. It has been a non-profit, all-volunteer organization from the start. To help pay the bills we entered the Winfield market. We attempted to address the West Chicago market but didn't find a group of citizens willing to write for the paper without pay. So West Chicago has been a non-starter. With the right outreach, however, I still think West Chicago would benefit from having its own coverage.

All of that is moot if the paper shuts down. None of the three communities ends up with a paper.

For now I’m getting some interest in keeping the paper alive in Warrenville. I think those people are reluctant to jump into running a newspaper; they don’t know how to do that. But neither did we at the beginning. We saw a need and did what we did to meet the need.

If it helps I will volunteer to be a coach to help new people take on the paper. If my help is seen as a barrier, I’ll step aside. Immediately.  Pretty simple offer.

It is a lot of work and not for the faint of heart. It is important for the community to take charge of its own paper. Are you willing to get involved?

If yes, let others know so this can become a group effort. Let me know if I can help.

March 12, 2015