Texas publisher who made his office a coffee shop offers 30 minutes of free advice for making your paper sustainable

By Al Cross

Director, Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, University of Kentucky

While some newspapers are closing their ofices to the public, one publisher in Texas is engaging with the community by operating out of its own coffee shop. And he's very much into the digital transition while still producing an oversized, black-and-white weekly print edition. And now he's willing to give you 30 minutes of his time to discuss making your paper sustainable.

Big Bend Sentinel Publisher Max Kabat and Texas Press Association
President Leonard Woosley at the newspaper's office/shop in Marfa

Max Kabat is publisher of The Big Bend Sentinel in Marfa, Texas, which has fewer than 2,000 people but is the county seat of Presidio County, which has little more than 6,000 – most of whom live in the county seat of Presidio on the Rio Grande, on the other side of the county. There, Max has another weekly, The International. But he is best known for his paper in Marfa, a town Vanity Fair magazine has called "a playground for art-world pioneers and pilgrims."

Kabat "is making a highly emotional connection with his community, daring to tear down any walls between The Big Bend Sentinel and his readers and advertisers," Texas Press Association President Leonard Woosley of the Galveston Daily News wrote in last month's Texas Press Messenger. "In Marfa, people hang out at their local newspaper." While the coffee shop is an example of revenue diversification, Kabat "is not done – and neither should we ever be. Tweaking and reinvention will always be a part of his successful formula."

When Kabat posted a comment on the recent Rural Blog item about closed newspaper offices, we had an email conversation in which he said, "I've been thinking about making my services available to help folks consider this transition" and wondered if people would be interested. I said I thought they would, and many certainly need help. He said we could hang out a shingle for him: "Max is making a free 30-minute chat available to interested parties." Email max@bigbendsentinel.com.