Missouri Press Association
Serving Missouri Newspapers Since 1867
Where in the state are you located?
Mexico, Missouri.
Who owns the newspaper?
Tim Schmidt, Westplex Media Group LLC.
In addition to publishing a newspaper, what other services do you/it provide?
The Mexico Ledger has its own video production offshoot we call Studio Audrain, which provides an additional media outlet for consumers and advertising opportunities for businesses. We also offer printing services and digital advertising on our website, social media and emails.
Circulation of newspaper: 1,800.
Number of issues per week/publication day(s): The Mexico Ledger prints weekly on Wednesdays. Studio Audrain publishes three long-form videos a week and 2-3 reels weekly.
Number of full-time and part-time staff:
Two full-time editorial staff members and one part-time marketing specialist.
Population of the town and county:
Mexico – 11,500; Audrain County – 24,500 residents.
Is the community growing, declining, or holding steady? Our community is growing. There are a number of local manufacturers, new businesses opening and the city has experienced a recent push in the development of workforce housing.
Your greatest challenge: Local trust. In the Ledger’s case, corporate ownership led to a decrease in reader support. Since the Ledger’s return to local ownership, it has been a goal of mine to regain trust and readership by maintaining a consistent presence in our community.
Newspaper’s biggest strength: Our biggest strength is the connection between all three papers owned by Westplex Media Group LLC. Both the sales and editorial teams at the Warren County Record, Montgomery Standard, and The Mexico Ledger meet weekly with Publisher Tim Schmidt to collaborate on story ideas and sales goals. Each paper supports one another and that allows us to keep smaller staffs without overextending anyone.
Newspaper’s biggest weakness or obstacle to overcome: Printing has become a major industry challenge. This issue goes hand in hand with print journalism’s struggle to maintain relevant in a digital world. As newspapers are forced to reduce costs and downsize, many lose the ability to print in-house. Those papers are faced with a choice: transition to tabloid-style newspapers that can be printed on smaller machines, or outsource printing.
Your family: I live in Columbia with my husband, Braedy. My parents and younger sister still live in my home state, Florida.
Your hobbies/interests: As a photographer, my hobbies and work often overlap. I will do just about anything for a good photo, whether that means going for a ride over Mexico in a two-seater Zenith CH 750 Cruzer or getting on the roof of the local high school.
When I’m not working on photos, I’m probably crocheting or reading. My favorite thing to crochet is lace, and my favorite author recently is Haruki Murakami.
List something that is interesting or unusual about you: I am a former competitive body builder and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappler.
What is your favorite professional accomplishment?
Launching Studio Audrain (learn more here). I started my journalism education in Mizzou’s convergence journalism program where I learned the foundation of video and audio production. I used those skills to bring my publisher’s vision to life. What started as simple reels recorded on my phone has become our own YouTube channel with multiple weekly shows and shorts that offer topics from community news and event promotion to sports. We also livestream Mexico High School football games with commentary.
If you weren’t working at the newspaper, what do you think you would be doing? I would probably be back in school pursuing a law degree. That is still a goal of mine, and I think law and journalism is an unstoppable combination.
