PUNGO — Given some of the naysaying about newspapers — and given that some of that naysaying is pretty much on point — I am sometimes amazed that The Independent News has been able to survive well into its second year. My goal is to keep it going. I hope this paper brings stories to you that you can’t get elsewhere. Some of you are comfortable letting me know when it doesn’t. That’s a good thing. It means you’re reading.
I hope I can appeal to you to help support The Independent News by letting our advertisers know you appreciate that they support original community journalism.
I also appeal to you to advertise if you either want to reach readers in southern Virginia Beach and Knotts Island, N.C., or because you support the work of some talented journalists and stories that are more than regurgitated press releases.
This newspaper is free to readers by design. Also, our ad rates are very low because we want small businesses to afford to reach readers in their community. That means we need to have reasonably steady ads in the print edition to pay the bills.
Obviously, people are always coming up to me and saying, “John, I’m not sure what to do with all of this disposable income.”
Well, no. But you don’t have to have a business to advertise in here. You can buy an ad that says, for example, “We sure like newspapers, especially ones that cover a specific geographic area, such as the southern part of Virginia Beach and also Knotts Island, N.C. Yup. Good stuff.” Just spitballing here. Reach me at (757) 748-5331 or email jhd@princessanneindy.com.
Anyway.
Before I get to our publication dates for next year, I just wanted to mention that I had to pick up our box at the International House of Pancakes on General Booth Boulevard. They’ve been amazing there, and I hope this is a temporary thing. I know we have some dedicated readers there, and I’m dropping some copies by. I’ll keep you posted.
So our publication schedule for next year follows. I’m planning 25 issues, with two breaks in the normal schedule of publishing every other weekend.
Here are the publication dates, Fridays all, with the papers going out that weekend:
► Jan. 6 and 20
► Feb. 3 and 17
► March 3, 17 and 31
► April 14 and 28
► May 12 and 26
► June 9 and 24
► July 7 and 21
► Aug. 11 and 25
► Sept. 8 and 22
► Oct. 6 and 20
► Nov. 3 and 17
► Dec. 1 and 14
The break in late December remains so my family gets me back. Another production break in the summer roughly coincides with a slowdown at City Hall.
Thanks for reading — and maybe even advertising.
© 2016 Pungo Publishing Co., LLC