Cooperative paper born during Depression struggles to survive, by staying true to its roots

Publishing a newspaper in the middle of an economic crisis is not new to the Inter-County Leader. The cooperative weekly began publishing in northwest Wisconsin in 1933, in the middle of the Great Depression, as a forum for pressing issues such as foreclosures and bankruptcies. Farmers and other business leaders invested $5 each for share of the stock.

Today, the paper is still $5 per share (although shareholders must also have a subscription), foreclosures and bankruptcies are once again pressing issues, and the paper is struggling, along with the economy. Advertising is way down, and Doug Panek, the cooperative's manager, is doubful that they can make a profit this year. But he recognizes that the paper is much more secure than others: "We are pretty well off financially. We can take a hard year and survive," he told Bill Glauber of Milwaukee's Journal Sentinel.

Even as profits are down, the paper is working hard to avoid sacrificing coverage. Glauber writes, "A recent issue ran 64 pages and was crammed with news ranging from a cougar sighting to an unsightly pile of trees." Additional revenue comes from sales in the main office, which doesn't simply sell subscriptions, but "evertyhing from stationary to trash bags filled with 30 pounds of shredded newsprint, which makes great bedding for livestock."

As the staff tries to ride out the recession, they plan to continue doing what they do best: covering their community, from the hard news to the human-interest to the homespun. Editor Gary King, who has been at the paper since 1983, remains hopeful that the community will continue to support them, as long as they keep reporting the stories that matter to local residents. "People are willing to pay for their small town news," he said. (Read more; visit the paper's website)