It’s been a month since we bought The Boulder Monitor. In that time, we have taken a crash course in newspaper publishing; with a lot of help from Jan Anderson, we’ve managed to get five issues out our door and into your mailboxes. You may have noticed that we’ve already made a few changes to the paper’s appearance.
We’ve also learned much about Boulder and Jefferson County: What people are talking about; what the big challenges are; what the data says about the area’s past and present; and what folks are doing to shape their future.
We now know, for example, that there is a persistent economic rift between the towns of Boulder and Whitehall and the unincorporated areas to the north. We know that Boulder remains tethered, for better and worse, to the future of the former Montana Developmental Center. We know that Boulder rocks the house at Jefferson High basketball games. We know that the steaks at the Windsor are pretty much as good as they get.
We want to keep learning. Which is why I’d like to ask your help.
I’ve observed that, while I happen to have a notarized piece of paper attesting to our legal control of The Monitor, the reality is different. This newspaper has been around for 111 years. It has outlasted the whims, politics, and vagaries of more publishers than I know. It has, as they say, a life of its own.
Which is to say that The Monitor is owned by you, the people of Boulder and Jefferson County. The newspaper reflects and serves the needs and the interests of our community. At its best, it tells the story of what’s urgent and important now, and it provides information that helps you make decisions about your individual and shared future.
As stewards of this news organization, it’s part of our job to understand what matters to you, the owners. What features in the paper do you like? What would you rather do without? What local issues are most important, and what should we be covering that we’re not already? How do you feel about the role of The Monitor in the community?
You’ve recently received in the mail, or will soon, a survey from us that asks these questions and more. It should take about 10 minutes to complete (or maybe longer, if you have a lot to say—which would be great).
I hope that, as owners of The Monitor, you’ll make that investment. (I also hope that you’ll spring for a stamp to return it to us – or just drop it by the office.) We promise to read every response. And we’ll report back on the results in a future issue of the Monitor.
Most important, we’ll use your input to inform our coverage over the next year. And we’ll ask you again, a year from now, how we’re doing.
One small change we’ve made with this issue is in the line just under the “Boulder Monitor” banner on the front page. What used to read, “The official newspaper of Jefferson County” now says, “Serving the future of Jefferson County.” With the support of our owners, we aim to live up to that.
