Write an essay and win a chance to own a small newspaper in Vermont

[cali]

including the historic building it's lodged in and all the equipment.


The Hardwick Gazette is a 127-year-old print-only publication with a paid circulation of approximately 2,200 that serves the incomparable Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Those who land on hardwickgazette.com will find not updates on town council meetings and baseball games, but rather the rules of an essay contest — one to find a new owner for the Hardwick Gazette.

Essay contests have been used to sell homes, restaurants and the like. But 70-year-old Ross Connelly , the owner of the Hardwick Gazette, has found no prior instance of a newspaper being sold via essay.

Perhaps that’s because prospective newspaper owners can’t write.

Connelly bought the paper in 1986, though it wasn’t his first in the industry. He attended Howard University in the 1960s and while there worked for civil rights leader the Rev. Walter Fauntroy. Through that connection, he met future D.C. Council Chairman David Clarke, who worked weekend shifts at The Post stuffing newspapers, according to Connelly. “I did it once or twice. That was my first official newspaper job,” says Connelly in an interview with the Erik Wemple Blog.

<snip>

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2016/06/08/owner-of-small-vermont-newspaper-launches-essay-contest-for-new-owner/

[drray23]

1. Could be a good opportunity

for Bernie Sanders supporters to own that and use it as center of operations for a Bernie's style of think tank devoted to push for down ballot candidates in local elections. He did say the revolution start from the ground up. I do not mean that as a snark. I supported Hillary but would have happily voted for Bernie in the general had he made it. Many of his ideas are attractive if not yet mainstream. Some will probably become mainstream in the future since he energized a lot of young people.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

2. What an excellent idea, drray23! If only... nt

[cali]

5. that's ridiculous. This is my town

it's a local paper that covers local news. That is really the only possible role for the paper to continue. I do hope that he gets enough submissions. It would be a real shame for it to fold.

[drray23]

6. I hope it wont fold

Not very many towns have local papers anymore. They all died when big media conglomerates started to dominate the landscape.

[KamaAina]

7. There does not appear to be a way to get there by bus

this could be a dealbreaker. Besides, since you're local, you'd have the inside track.

[pinboy3niner]

8. As God is my witness, I thought KamaAina could fly

[KamaAina]

9. Silly pinboy. I get to and from Hawai'i by paddling an outrigger canoe.

[drm604]

3. I wish I had some newspaper experience.

Last edited Fri Jun 10, 2016, 02:52 PM - Edit history (1)

I might enter this if I did.

[KamaAina]

4. I do! I do!

Okay, it was a college paper, but we did win a Columbia Journalism Award (before I got there ).

[Downwinder]

10. 20 min. from Goddard?

Shoul be able to find takers.

[Bluenorthwest]

11. Too bad you aren't in the market for a gig, cali. You'd be a very great publisher/editor type.

You'd pen editorials to put the fear of God in God himself.

[cali]

12. I'm flattered. thanks.

I really hope they get enough entries. It's funny because Hardwick is also the home of vtdigger which is web only but has been highly lauded by national organizations like the Columbia Journalism Review. But digger really doesn't do local Hardwick stuff. Hardwick which for ages was known as a rough and tumble poor community, has had a real resurgence through the local food thing. It's the epicenter of that for the state.

Here's a link to an article Bill McKibben wrote about Hardwick a few years ago.


http://www.yankeemagazine.com/article/features/agriculture#_

[Bluenorthwest]

14. I mean it. You would be legendary.

Hardwick sounds like my kind of town, Vermont and Oregon have many things in common. I wish that local paper well and hope they find the right person....

[annabanana]

13. What a great opportunity. There MUST

be enough wordsmiths who would LOVE to be in Vermont.

[meow2u3]

15. That's an astute way he has of selling his business

He has a $175 entry fee and must have at least 700 entries, so he'll gross at least about $120K.

I think he wants to make sure the new owner(s) can read and write the English language correctly. He also wants to make sure the paper doesn't die with him. I think it's smart of him to run a contest like that.