North Dakota community newspapers discuss impact of oil boom on their business

North Dakota's recent oil boom has increased traffic accidents and created need for temporary towns; but, for the state's community newspapers it has created a rush of news stories, and as Teri Saylor reports for the National Newspaper Association's publication, Publishers' Auxiliary, they are scrambling to keep up with the boom's meteoric pace. Over a two-part series, Saylor interviewed four publishers from papers in the Brakken Oil Field of northeastern North Dakota to understand how their papers are handling the rush of stories related to the boom. North Dakota Newspaper Association Executive Director Roger Bailey told Saylor unemployment in the state is at 3 percent, far below the national average. This year, the state legislature had a surplus of $1 billion. There are downsides, like increased expendatures for infrastructure, not enough housing for workers and overflowing schools, and Saylor reports the publishers all think the oil boom will last a long time. (Publishers' Auxiliary map)

Steve Andrist, publisher of two third generation, family-owned newspapers: the Crosby Journal and the Tioga Tribune, told Saylor North Dakota has become the U.S.'s domestic Saudi Arabia, saying: "The oil reserves here are even more significant than earlier geographic surveys predicted." He said for the first time in 50 to 60 years, the population in his state is increasing, and all those people will have no trouble finding work. Now, his papers are "bursting at the seams" with legal notices, advertising and news. When the population was low, Andrist told Saylor his papers ran a lot of feature stories because his reporters struggled to find news. Now they "are wishing for the luxury of time so we can do more features. We are spending all of our time covering development stories: planning, zoning, water, roads. So many issues.”

At the Williston Herald, publisher Mitzi Moe told Saylor about housing for the droves of workers migrating to the state. Rent has "exploded," and tent cities, campers and basements have become residences of choice for workers who can't find other places to live. Hiring is "next to impossible" at her paper. "We are running short of staff in every department: news, advertising and circulation," she told Saylor. Moe said even she is pitching in to help meet demand and staff at the paper are currently doing multiple jobs to keep up. Williston is not prepared for the boom, she said, adding the town doesn't have the infrastructure for it.

Mary Kilen, Mountrail County Reporter publisher, is logging 80-hour work weeks and the four staff members at her husband's family paper are following suit. She told Saylor Mountrail County is considered ground zero in the oil boom. The population of Stanley, the county seat, grew by over 1,000 people in one year and Kilen said infrastructure needs have "turned into a nightmare," the hundreds of millions slated to fix it will only scratch the surface. Housing is a problem for her community as well, with current temporary housing "man camps"
on the edge of town reaching their 4,000-bed capacity. The county has currently placed a moratorium on those camps, though, and Kilen told Saylor the county government is "doing a fabulous job" of handling the boom.

McKenzie County Farmer's publisher, Neal Shipman, reminisced to Saylor about what life was like in Watford City 18 months ago when his paper was "a solid 10 to 12 pages a week." Now, the paper makes 16 to 22 pages easily. Stores can't keep the paper on news racks: issues are "disappearing from stores and racks in two days." While his community is also reaping the benefits the boom brings with it, it's also struggling with similar infrastructure, population and housing concerns. There are now 20 to 30 minute waits at the gas pump and school boards are looking for ways to increase classroom size to hold the addition 300 students enrolled this year. Shipman also told Saylor he's managing his paper the best he can with his three full-time and three part-time employees, but he adds they are dealing with stories they've never dealt with before and that keeps things fun.

This series can be found in Publishers' Auxiliary's November and December issues. An online version is available, but registration is required.