Phil Graham — likely known more as the husband to legendary Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham than his own work — once famously described newspapers as a “rough draft of history.”
But, in what has become a far too common refrain, newspapers themselves are becoming history. More than 3,000 newspapers have disappeared from communities since 2004, according to Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, and more will surely follow.
If you don’t think it’s a big deal, then you have simply not taken the time to understand exactly how newspapers shape not just where we live, but how we live. It gives us the good and the bad — hopefully more good than bad — and keeps us informed in a way that’s not drowned in unverified gossip, and in a way that’s truly fair to all those involved.
I no longer live in Pennsylvania, but it doesn’t mean Pennsylvania doesn’t live within me. Growing up, the newspapers I adored were The Ridgway Record, The Bradford Era and especially The Johnsonburg Press.
I really didn’t understand why I was so drawn to The Johnsonburg Press. It looked nothing like the other papers on the news racks. And you were more apt to find out someone broke their arm or celebrated a birthday than having someone uncover a corruption scandal.
I had dreamed as a young man of someday coming in and turning The Press into a real paper — with hard-hitting headlines, actual bylines, and a sense of purpose. But it wasn’t until I was older that I realized The Press already was a real paper. And it was perfect just the way it was.
From the amazing work of the late Alva K. Gregory and Frances Fowler, to the tireless efforts put in each week by Jack Fowler and longtime writer Joyce Maletto — The Johnsonburg Press has made it to newsstands and into mailboxes each and every week for more than a century.
Yet, the rumors going around town over the last few weeks were true, despite every hope they weren’t: Jack and Joyce are ready to retire. And if someone doesn’t step in and take over The Press, its days are numbered.
Naturally, that drew a few of my former neighbors to me. I have worked in newspapers for more than three decades now, all starting from Frances Fowler giving me a chance to write at The Press back in 1992. I still love Johnsonburg, and even run its most popular Facebook group.
I can’t take over, unfortunately. My career keeps me very busy, and although Johnsonburg and Elk County will always be in my heart, I have my hands full with my own career that I truly love while living in what the fantastic musical “Hamilton” refers to as the greatest city in the world. But it doesn’t mean I can’t help. And play a key role.
The fact is, The Johnsonburg Press doesn’t have to disappear. And both Jack and Joyce can still enjoy a well-deserved retirement. All we need is an already fantastic community partner to step up again: like, maybe, paper mill owner Domtar Corp.
It’s not a new concept, actually. But one that has proven successful. And don’t worry, no one is suggesting Domtar get into the community newspaper business.
But Domtar could create a charitable trust — one that is run by members of the community, whose primary purpose is to keep the institution that is The Johnsonburg Press alive. They would provide some funding to complement any other revenue brought in, and ensure the community that has welcomed them all these years don’t lose their local newspaper.
It’s a win-win for everyone. And if someone asked me to be a part of it, I would contribute any way I could — even from a few hundred miles away. The fact is that the paper will only survive if all of us work together. And, of course, we hope Jack and Joyce would be a part of it in some way as well. Yes, I grew up in Johnsonburg, but even I still have a bit of a learning curve, and having their expertise would help a lot.
What creates a community is who you find inside. For Johnsonburg, that’s the great people who live there, first and foremost. And it’s the industry that helps it thrive. Because of that, The Press would also need a community advisory board. A board made up of people from the community, to share what they want to see in the paper, and ensure that it happens.
And what better way to show a community you truly are there for them than to make sure this fantastic publication — The Johnsonburg Press — continues. And the future of Johnsonburg remaining the well-informed place to live depends on it.
(The author, who grew up in Johnsonburg, is now executive editor of Herald Community Newspapers, a group of more than 20 neighborhood-based newspapers on Long Island and in New York City.)
