I have had some people say they heard a rumor that the Gazette has been sold to the Lawrence-Journal World and one person heard a rumor that we bought the Lawrence newspaper.
To set the record straight: The Emporia Gazette is not for sale. And we are not buying or planning to buy the Journal World.
Perhaps our relationship with the Lawrence newspaper needs to be made clear.
The Journal World prints our newspaper. We hire a printer to print the paper just as people hire a painter to paint their house.
We are one of many papers the Journal World prints. The LJW also prints USA Today, The Ottawa Herald, The Iola Register, The University Daily Kansan, The ESU Bulletin, The Madison News, many area weeklies, and more. They run their presses 24 hours a day.
The Journal World has never asked, inquired or wanted to buy the Gazette or buy into the paper. Nor, has any other company asked, inquired, or wanted to buy the paper or buy into the paper.
The Emporia Gazette, nor the White Corporation, nor any of our other affiliated businesses are for sale.
Ashley and I love the paper and we have hopes it will be passed on to a fifth generation. We are committed to giving our children that opportunity.
Typically when companies are for sale owners don’t invest money into the company. We are investing in tomorrow today. In the last seven months:
• We have invested more than $90,000 in a new computer system and computers for staff members to produce the paper.
• We have spent money to buy new broadcast equipment to do live video streaming over the internet.
• We have upgraded our photo and video gear.
• Invested in developing the Flint Hills Shopper.
• We have even put a new roof on our building.
All these efforts are for our future to make us a progressive news organization that can distribute our content across many multimedia platforms.
Journalism is in an exciting time and we are excited to be part of pioneering the awesome future in local news.
So, again, The Emporia Gazette is not for sale. The only thing that is for sale, is our daily edition. So, if you don’t have a subscription, we will gladly sell you one. Please call 342-4800 today.
Chris Walker
Editor & Publisher
mslater (Matt Slater) says...
Ohh come on Chris, everything is for sale! Just kidding, kind of.
You said, "Ashley and I love the paper and we have hopes it will be passed on to a fifth generation."
I say I can't wait to see what the Emporia Gazette App for iPad and Android looks like...
Matt
August 24, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Malique (anonymous) says...
"We hire a printer to print the paper just as people hire a painter to paint their house."
Isn't this the same guy that yelled at us for using out of town roofers to repair hail damage?
Practice what you preach.
August 24, 2011 at 3:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
Well said Malique
August 24, 2011 at 5:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
cwalker (anonymous) says...
We would be happy to print here. However no local businesses have the sophisticated state of art equipment that is required to do newspaper printing. This equipment is very expensive. The KC star press cost $100 million dollars. That is why newspapers below 50,000 circulation are hiring print sites.
Chris
August 24, 2011 at 6:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
I know for a fact that that you could host and administer your own webpage, yet that is outsourced too, same principle. People here take issue when you write editorials about shopping Emporia, and don't practice what you preach.
I don't shop Emporia first, the decisions made by our leaders made that choice easy for me.
August 24, 2011 at 6:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
cwalker (anonymous) says...
The Emporia Gazette and our web development company Emporia Web Design.com we own host and administor more 40 domain addresses locally.
Part of our news website software which was developed specically for our industry is so complex we would have no idea how to write it, or mainain it, nor would the company that developed it allow us to host it. So we have to rely on outside help.
It is a similar situation with the microsoft software on our pc computers. Our staff didn't have the expertise to write the microsoft program ourselves so we had to rely on Bill Gates for help.
Our specialty is writing, producing and delivering local news products in print and online to customers and it takes more than 100 people to do it everyday.
Chris
August 24, 2011 at 7:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
Chris,
So your telling me you design and host webpages but cannot administer you own? Feel free to email me, I work in the industry and readily sort out your problem for you.
If you don't want to hire an employee with the proper skill set, just say so, they don't come cheap but again, the point in all of this is the same.
You contract out of agencies to make your business profitable, how is that any different than someone hiring an out of town roofer to facilitate a cost savings on an individual level? Ever think that maybe some people can't afford the extra to contract local help, much like your business?
Think about that next time you get up on the soap box to shop Emporia first.
August 24, 2011 at 7:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
goodoleboy said he works in the industry and maybe he does but, the last I heard, he was driving cars to market for a local dealership.
August 24, 2011 at 8:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
cwalker (anonymous) says...
Perhaps you missed my first sentence. We host and maintain more than 40 sites locally. Goodoleboy or anyone else please stop by if you have software or expertise to help us.
Chris
August 24, 2011 at 8:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
reddog,
Again, you have no clue what you are talking about, I work for a large tech firm in KC, based on your posts I expect you not to have the facts, so there it is.
Chris,
Perhaps you missed my point, you have written editorials promoting shopping Emporia first, and decrying the use of out of town contractors but you yourself segment your business according to what is best for your bottom line. People here do the same thing, they might shop at Reeble's or Bluestem but some things are cheaper and more affordable to contract out of town help for. This is a logical and sound point, and all I was trying to make. If you want help with your IT related issues you have my email address, tell me what your trying to accomplish and we'll talk.
August 24, 2011 at 8:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
I sense a slight difference of opinion here.
Don't know who is winning the argument, but I would like to give my two cents. And it is to goodoleboy.
if your posts on here are your idea of a resume, you might want to work on that.
Sorry, sorry, that was my lame attempt at humor. :>)
Really, I couldn't help it. Please continue.
August 24, 2011 at 9:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
Steve,
All I sought to point out was the hypocrisy in motion that you have commented about on other threads. I see nothing wrong with people doing what is needed to make ends meet. Just not a big fan of not practicing what one preaches.
Far as my job goes, I do work in the tech industry, Reddog has me confused(he always seems confused) with another member of my family perhaps so I just wanted to dispel that notion.
August 24, 2011 at 9:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
I really do apologize, was just trying to lighten things up. Failed miserably.
You know i agree with a lot of your posts and enjoy reading them. You are correct in calling shenanigans when you see it.
And Chris, I am sure if you are wanting to pass the business on to the kids, you know when they are old enough to take over electronic media will be the norm, and newsprint, lesser so. Eventually you'll have to have a full time IT person in house, if you don't have one now.
August 24, 2011 at 9:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
LIGHTEN things up. Two 8 year olds were in MCDONALD'S and they were both calling each other stupid and the mother said,"your both 2 toys short of a happy meal. Good night and God bless.
August 24, 2011 at 11:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bubbadleroy (anonymous) says...
What is a IT person? Hell I might be one and don't even know it.
August 24, 2011 at 11:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
reddog, why not a word of apology to goodoleboy for what you did to him instead of some kind of admonishment ala McDonald's?
bubba, IT people are computer tekkies.
August 25, 2011 at 7:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
railroadhorn (anonymous) says...
Chris, if you're counting on local reporting you might want to make inroads into the Chinese students at ESU for good stories. I see so many now around the campus and I wonder what their stories are about how they got here and what they hope to accomplish.
Education is a key for Emporia so I'd say put more of a focus on it beyond the board meetings. Get into what really goes on in a classroom and look at what is working here.
Other areas to focus on to get more readership might be looking at whether Tyson really can make it here, can Newman's survive as a small rural hospital, is there a way to develop a niche of outdoor tourism as the gov proposed for this area, the idea of combining the technical college with ESU and the aging of the population here are just a few examples. And of course all the ways people are stretched tight on budgets is newsworthy.
I'd like to see more in-depth reporting but I know it's costly too.
August 25, 2011 at 8:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
RAILROADHORN, good post and may I suggest the 5 minute forecast for national and international news especially on markets.
http://5minforecast.agorafinancial.co...
August 28, 2011 at 10:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )