Missouri Press Association
Serving Missouri Newspapers Since 1867
Where in the state are you located? Perryville, in southeastern Missouri.
Who owns the newspaper? Smith Newspapers, Inc.
In addition to publishing a newspaper, what other services do you/it provide? We offer a number of other advertising and marketing services, everything from digital advertising, direct mail, promotional item production, and pretty much anything you can think of.
Circulation of newspaper: 3,500
Number of issues per week/publication day: Weekly on Thursday
Number of full- and part-time staff: Nine.
Population of the town and county: City — 8,554, County — 19,100
Is the community growing, declining, or holding steady? Growing.
Your greatest challenge: I feel like our biggest challenge might be staying on top of everything happening in our community with such a small staff. We don’t have a lot of hands, but they’re always busy with two or three things.
Newspaper’s biggest strength: Our biggest strength is our staff. Someone told me once, “Hire good people and get out of their way.” I’ve taken that to heart, and it’s served me well. I’m blessed with a top-notch staff. I wish there were more.
Newspaper’s biggest weakness or obstacle to overcome: Combatting the ideas that “No one reads the newspaper anymore,” and “There’s nothing in it,” is a full-time job. Our subscribers are loyal, but they’re also, for the most part, older. Figuring out how to draw new readers is a true challenge. We’ve been here for 137 years, and I’d like to be here for 137 more.
Your family: Widowed, with two daughters.
Your hobbies/interests: I’m a huge pop-culture fan, with interests covering everything from movies and music to literature, comics, and games. I’m a giant nerd at heart, one that likes British comedians, various sports, and the occasional stout or whisky.
List something that is interesting or unusual about you: I volunteer with Heroes for Kids, a 501(c)(3) charitable fundraising organization dedicated to bringing together children with costumed heroes and everyday heroes — including first responders, law enforcement and service members and veterans — to raise money for various local and regional charities. Our primary fundraiser each year is Heroes for Kids Comic Con, a charitable event focusing on comic book and pop culture held each July in Perryville. I also do volunteer work as a member of the 501st Legion and the Rebel Legion, two worldwide Star Wars costuming organizations comprised of and operated by Star Wars fans and officially endorsed by Lucasfilm, Ltd., involved in raising funds for various charities, making hospital visits and helping with the Make-a-Wish program.
What is your favorite journalism accomplishment? Aside from winning multiple awards for best columnist in two different states, my favorite might be winning national awards for breaking news, investigative reporting and feature writing. Then again, I also get a huge smile every time a community member stops by or calls to tell us we did a good job, or to thank us for covering a story. Local recognition from our readers might just be a bit better than any award.
If you weren’t an editor or a publisher, what do you think you would be doing? I’ve never done much else. I actually started college as a pre-veterinary medicine major, but that didn’t last past my first organic chemistry class. Aside from my first year in college, I’ve always had a newspaper job since I was 16. That’s 37 years as an ink-stained wretch. I’ve had second and third jobs as everything from a bartender and karaoke DJ to radio DJ, sports announcer and producer.
I’ve always been a writer, and I suppose I always will be. I’d like to think I would have found a job as a writer of novels, comics or screenplays.
