As the publisher of one of Arizona’s last remaining small-business–owned newspapers, I spend a lot of time thinking about the stories we tell and how we tell them. Running a rural newspaper means wearing many hats—editor, reporter, photographer, and occasionally even delivery driver. And while our small, dedicated team works incredibly hard, the truth is we’re often stretched thin.
We rely on you, our readers, to help bridge the gap. The strength of a truly local newspaper lies in its community connections, and we need your eyes, ears and voices to ensure we don’t miss what matters most. If you see something in town that deserves attention, let us know. Whether it’s an unsung hero quietly doing good work, a neighborhood issue causing frustration, or even just a great photo you captured around town, your tips make our paper better.
We also invite you to write letters to the editor, no matter what’s on your mind. Give a community member a shoutout, highlight something you feel the local government has missed, or even tell us if you think our reporting needs improving. Every opinion voiced helps further the community conversation and makes us a better newspaper, and we sincerely mean that. We value any criticism. Criticism helps us stay honest, keeps us accountable, and ultimately pushes us to be the kind of newspaper this community deserves.
I plan on producing news for these communities for the next several decades, God willin’, because journalism is about more than filling pages with stories—it’s about helping communities become stronger and ensuring voters are better informed. I want to make sure that when you step into the voting booth, you feel confident that you’ve had access to clear, accurate, and complete information about what’s happening right here at home.
But we can’t do this alone. As much as our small team tries, we inevitably miss things. That’s why your participation matters so deeply. Together, we can create a newspaper that reflects the richness, uniqueness, challenges and triumphs of our communities.
Thank you for supporting community journalism. Let’s build a better paper together, one that is imperfect, as all things are, but one that works towards a better community for all.
