Start Your Own Small Newspaper Publishing Business

National Public Radio (NPR) reported this year that, "In the age of Internet media and 24/7 cable outlets, more than 20 million Americans still get a significant amount of their news from small-circulation daily and weekly newspapers. For many of these mom-and-pop papers, business is booming — so much so that hundreds of papers have been targeted by growing national chains..."

Reported by NPR's Brian Mann, in an interview with John Strong, President of the Newspaper Association of America on All Things Considered, April 30, 2007.

Hear the interview for yourself at NPR

The reasons for wanting to start a newspaper are many. Some people simply desire a business of their own. Others want to give their community better representation in the press. I started my newspaper because I wanted to help the people of my area communicate more effectively with each other.

The specific reason isn't always as important as the willingness to take that first step – to actually start a paper. Newspaper publishing is both exciting and rewarding. It’s still work (and plenty of it) but it also provides opportunities and rewards most careers never will.

Newspaper work is at least as demanding as any other job. When you get tired of taking pictures, interviewing people, selling ads, building ads, writing stories and arranging pages (not to mention making deadlines), you will still need to crank out papers. Passion for the dream will help keep the business going, but you will also need backbone and a strong commitment to excellence. You will need heart. Good friends and strong allies are not a bad thing, either.

Modern technology has made much of the work less time consuming and less costly than it was in the old days. You can now produce a great local newspaper with little more than a computer, a camera, and some good software. It is even possible for one person or a husband and wife team to own and operate their own newspaper business — as hundreds do across the United States alone.

How to Publish Your Own Small Newspaper

Many successful news publishers have little or no background in journalism. Obviously, a lack of formal journalistic training or experience does not automatically make one a better reporter, writer or publisher. Still, you don't need a degree to start and run a great local newspaper.

If you start a newspaper in a small town you may end up doing most of the work yourself. This website answers questions about how to get your newspaper going. You can use the search box (available on most pages) to look for specific topics on this site, such as building ads, reporting the news, and so on.

One thing you must know: Newspaper publishing is an enterprise, a business. It needs to be set up properly from the beginning. You will need a bank account, a way to keep the books (or someone to keep the books for you), a business plan of some kind, and a place to work. Deadlines and schedules are also important, even for a very informal paper.

This website includes basic information on many aspects of starting and operating a small newspaper: reporting, interviewing, useful photos, ad rates (setting up your rate sheet), page layout, selling ads, building ads, necessary equipment and software, and more. I have also listed books and guides that you may find helpful in planning and building your newspaper business.

These tips and bits of advice can help you to plan and operate the business side of your publishing venture. I also urge you to meet with your banker, to check out books at the public library, and to become familiar with local laws and required permits.

The basic steps to starting out in newspaper publishing are repeated across this website. The work routine is not complicated. Here it is in a nutshell:

You will need to go out and gather news and information about your area that is of interest to your readers. This is the work of a reporter. Call and visit the local businesses, schools, governing agencies and community leaders. Get their stories, collecting news, notices, announcements. As you go, collect ads (and money) from advertisers. Take pictures of the people you talk to, and of the events you cover. Arrange the information and the pictures into pages. Have the publication printed as a tabloid or journal-sized paper. Distribute the papers. Rest up for a day or so, and start the whole process again.

If you enjoy this kind of work, you will be very happy as a newspaper, shopper, magazine or other local or special interest news publisher. If it seems like a lot of hard work, and you’d rather be painting houses or building barns, then you may want to consider a different career.

A good newspaper is central to the growth and success of the community it serves. This website touches on the good that a local paper can do. You have the opportunity to provide encouragement and the praise for the good being accomplished by everyday citizens. Your newspaper can help bring attention where it is most needed and help the people to get things done.

If you do your job well, your paper will help the good people of your area to bring about many positive changes. You will encourage and uplift and warn and entertain your readers. You will know, in the end, that it was worth the effort and time and whatever challenges you face.

Next: How to Make Good Money

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Be sure to visit the Newspaper Publishing Bookshelf for books and guides containing valuable newspaper and business information. Learn how to interview, write articles, sell ads, write ad copy, take photos, and keep the books straight. You can also discover detailed startup & operation information. Go Now.

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