Sweet Sixteen and Coming Up Strong

By John Strand
Staff Writer

Ever so subtly, with our Sept. 9 issue the High Plains Reader enters its 17th year of publication. While this is understated, it is nothing less than historic and significant in terms of accomplishment for The Little Newspaper That Could.

On the bottom of our masthead on page three, HPR credits founders Ian Swanson, Peter Ryan and Len Schmid. Sixteen years ago, those three individuals breathed life into the bi-weekly newspaper originally based in Grand Forks. They sold it just over two years later.

The Reader has had countless people involved through the years: two sets of owners, a handful of editors, tons of contributing writers and delivery people, at least one “angel,” and a slew of readers and advertisers.

We could not be more proud.

One of the key ingredients of HPR’s success has been direct engagement with our community. Our newspaper gives voice to the people, gives them standing and stakeholdership. It is not exclusive to the elite or the establishment.

Another key ingredient is that our product is provided free to the public. This fits nicely with the advent of free media via the Internet.

HPR was created by people graduating from UND, who wanted a vehicle for publication for the younger set. That tradition continues today.

A few twists and turns in HPR’s journey have dramatically altered the paper’s existence. The Flood of ‘97 was almost catastrophic, as our base in Grand Forks, as well as our office, were inundated and destroyed. That’s when the Reader established itself as a Fargo-based paper. Just over a year ago, HPR shifted its audience by pulling out of the north valley and then saturating Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo with nearly 13,000 papers each week.

In an era where there is a public perception that newspapers are on the decline, especially dailies, the High Plains Reader is reaching new heights. We credit that to our true partnership with our advertisers and our readers.

Looking back, it’s hard to believe that there was a time when HPR was black and white and 16 pages. Nowadays, more people read our paper online than we had all together in our early print-only days. Our combined weekly readership exceeds 30,000 people. Our distribution numbers make our paper the fifth most circulated paper in all of North Dakota.

We do not even know the last time an independent local weekly newspaper lasted more than two and a half years in the Fargo-Moorhead market. Decades upon decades. But HPR has survived and still grows, has bucked the odds and still does. HPR has won over the people and has proven its sustainability through hard work and the ultimate test, that of time.

This past year, we again shifted gears dramatically and empowered Cindy Gomez to take over the editorial helm. There always are bumps in the road when leadership changes. But we now have tighter content management and direction than ever before in our paper’s history. Though she’s been at it much less than a year already, there’s no doubt Cindy hit the ground running.

HPR has several strengths worth noting. We have a huge presence downtown. More than 2,200 people pick up HPR downtown each week, a number bigger than most weekly newspapers across the state. HPR is on all campuses—our demographics show very strong readership in the 18-34 age range.

HPR consistently tackles tough issues without climbing in bed with the establishment. We also provide a predictably provocative stance on diversity and human rights issues. Our calendar of events and best bets listings are the go-to source for nightlife and happenings. And we cover arts and entertainment, our niche, better than the rest, bar none.

One thing we would appreciate probably more than anything from you, our loyal readers, as a birthday present commemorating 16 years of HPR, is this: do your business with our advertisers and tell them as much.

Publisher Raul Gomez is visualizing a new ad campaign for HPR: pictures of real people with the headline, “I am a High Plains reader.” Though we’d love to, we cannot publish pictures of all 30,000 of our readers. However, we invite every one of you to volunteer a story and tell us why HPR should share it with the broader community.
 
Meanwhile, thanks from the bottom of our hearts to each and every one of you, and for your own personal role in our journey.

HPR, The Little Newspaper That Could, sweet 16 and ready for the world like never before.

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