By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

Here in Otter Tail County we are fortunate to have Daily Journal Media and six county weekly newspapers. Readers of these publications, in print or online, have access to school board and city council meetings, hobbies, sports, church news and contributions to communities from neighbors and friends.

Area newspapers received several awards at the Minnesota Newspaper Association (MNA) convention held in late January in the Twin Cities. 

“We’re an organization that represents newspapers of all sizes and backgrounds,” said Chad Koenen, county publisher based in Henning and past MNA president. “Our newspapers bring ideas and current events to life.” 

Newspaper reading, by people of all ages, improves reading skills and enhances critical thinking. Adds Koenen, “Newspapers also promote social consciousness. Readers become deeply aware of the people around them in their communities.”

Koenen says that even with increased competition from social media, newspapers continue to operate when they receive adequate support from their local communities. What’s needed are reader subscriptions and advertising from local businesses.

Koenen and his wife, Dani, own newspapers in Henning, New York Mills and Frazee, just across the border in Becker County, as well as the Sebeka Menahga Review Messenger in Wadena County.

“We are short-staffed, but we do our best to be in as many places as we can to cover what’s going on in our own backyards,” he says. “While the world evolves into digital platforms, we feel there’s still a need for print newspapers in small town communities.”

Koenen says there’s something to be said about holding a newspaper in your hands and being able to cut out pictures for scrapbooks each week. 

“You don’t get to do that with Facebook or other social media websites,” he says.

Newspaper delivery through the post office is an ongoing challenge for Koenen and his staff. They want to see the newspapers delivered to readers in a timely manner.

“The hands of our local postmasters and delivery drivers are too often tied up by bureaucracy within the United States Postal Service (USPS),” Koenen said. “How can you explain how a package from Amazon can get out of a mail processing plant on time but a newspaper is hung up for several days? We share the frustration of our readers and continue to be advocates for them as much as we can.” 

Local newspapers, despite challenges, work to stay on course by helping readers become informed citizens. The goal is to provide good articles that include coverage of governmental units, tackle social issues and include activities such as sporting events, musicals, plays, the arts and much more.

Editors, staff 

remain dedicated

Newspaper editors and their reporters, attending breakout sessions during the recent Minnesota Newspaper Association (MNA) convention in the Twin Cities, pledged their dedication to providing the best newspapers possible during challenging times.

“In this business, you need to love what you do while serving our readers,” said Tara Brandl, publisher of the newspaper in Tracy, Minnesota, south of Marshall in southwestern Minnesota. “Our readers depend on us to cover the news as best we can and to cover events that are important to them.”

At the same time, advertising revenue remains the lifeblood for newspapers both large and small. A shift to consuming news online, and use of smartphones, has affected traditional news outlets such as print media.

Newspapers publishers, in light of declining revenues, have been forced to expand into sales of business cards, envelopes, small-scale book publishing and other endeavors.

Publishers also are adapting to digital, with many of their readers going online for local stories. That being said, it’s heartwarming for many newspaper publishers such as Brandl hearing from readers who still want to hold hard copies and read the newspaper page to page.

“If we have a good product and good reputation, readers and advertisers will support us,” Brandl said.