Tags
Alberton, Clark Fork Chronicle, De Borgia, Drexel, Haugan, Lozeau, Mineral County, Montana, Nine Mile, River Bend, Saltese, St. Regis, Superior, Tarkio, The Corporation for Public Community Newspapers
The headline says it all…I’m writing my own press release.
Hello Mineral County, it’s me, Mark, your favorite hack journalist. Last week John Q. Murray announced that he was stepping down as interim executive director of the Corporation for Public Community Newspapers and I was chosen as the new president.
Before John’s announcement of resignation it was also announced that I would be relaunching the Clark Fork Chronicle and taking over as the president of the non profit.
What that means to news coverage in Mineral County as of today? Absolutely nothing.
Nada.
Squadouche.
Zip and zero.
What that means for the future of reporting news in Mineral County remains to be seen.
In an email to members of the corporation, John stated that The Corporation for Public Community Newspapers (CPNC) was successfully established, received its non-profit status from the IRS, and ran the online version of the Clark Fork Chronicle during 2010 and 2011. John, who now lives in Honolulu, is focusing his time on new ventures as well as being a dedicated husband to his wife and an awesome father to his children. I wish him all the luck in the world, as should you.
The newspaper stopped printing about four years ago, the week after the Superior Bobcats football team won the Class C state championship. Since then, the Chronicle had been exclusively on the web, posting op/ed pieces as well as press releases from various Montana agencies and politicians.
What this blog is intended to do is let the folks in Mineral County know that I am still around, typos and all. I have very little time to dedicate to this project as a try to earn a living with one full-time job and various other side gigs. I have a real passion to bring the people of Mineral County better news reporting than is offered around these parts.
Other news agencies in Min Co. bring out-of-state reporters in once a year, teach them about the area, get them comfortable reporting and then watch them leave when their contract is up. You can’t blame those people for leaving, everyone wants to earn a decent wage.
It has been four years since the print edition of the Clark Fork Chronicle stopped hitting newsstands. I’ve remained living in Superior and each time I leave the house on errands, without fail, someone asks me when when the Chronicle will return. The problems that ended the CFC’s run then remain today. People want the newspaper, but few want to support it through advertising or other contributions, so it seems.
In 2007, the Missoula Independent wrote a story about what John was trying to accomplish with the CPNC (read the story here .) It makes sense to me, but I’m not sure how to reach those goals. I no nothing about membership drives, selling ads or how a non-profit works.
What I do now is that reporting on St. Regis sixth grade basketball or Superior Town Council meeting are important to me and fun to write. I believe in this community, love it in fact. I want to bring you, the people of Mineral County, the news you miss reading, but I can’t do it for free…not for long anyway.
If you want to help support the CFC and the non profit, that would be great. Let’s figure out how you can do so. Thanks for reading this and I look forward to hearing from you.