Welcome to the jungle
Greensboro is Talking alerted me to this story about a new weekly newspaper coming to Greensboro next month. (Why is this being announced in the Outer Banks Sentinel, you ask? They're both owned by the same company.) Its editor, Brian Clarey, covered the bar scene for Go Triad. I'm intrigued by two comments of the company president. First, his idea that "good, long reads" are lacking in the local press. Many of the stories we publish are too long, as far as I'm concerned. Second, "The Greensboro market is begging for a local, hard news weekly, and that is just what we're going to give them." John Hammer may want to discuss that.
I don't know what it is about Greensboro that says "Start a weekly publication here!" Given the recent history of The Patriot, ESP and the Greater Greensboro Observer, you might be better off investing in a surer bet like, say, Ralph Nader's 2008 presidential campaign. But Womack Publishing has been successful for a number of years so this is obviously no lark.
All that said, competition is good for newspapers and readers are always the beneficiaries. Welcome to town.
Comments (6)
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Well, now the voice of the Landmark masters will ring from Manteo to Mocksville ( not Murphy ). The prosprct is about as exciting as an echo chamber.
Posted on December 1, 2004 12:30 AM
I meant of course the OBS ( a recent acquisition ) and not the new guy on the block, Clarey
Posted on December 1, 2004 12:37 AM
Sorry if it was unclear. Landmark Communications, which owns the News & Record, does not own the Outer Banks Sentinel; Womack Communications does, and Womack is the company that is starting the new weekly in Greensboro.
Posted on December 1, 2004 5:40 AM
From what I have seen of his other local papers here, Womack is very good at indentifying market niches and keeping costs low. He probably also has bigger pockets than the other local weeklies.
As for not covering hard news and longer stories needed in Greensboro, I don't know where that comes from. Probably just trying to get attention with that statement.
Posted on December 1, 2004 8:03 AM
I love the free press and the attention, but I should say that I've done quite a bit more than cover bars for GoTriad. I got my journalism degree from Loyola New Orleans in 1993 and have been steadily publishing stories since, appearing in more than ten publications, including New Orleans Magazine, Gambit Weekly, Our State, NCBoating Lifestyle, and even the travel section of the venerable N&R itself. Since moving to Greensboro in 2000 I've sold about 300 articles, columns and features, and my byline has appeared in every weekly in town with the exception of the Observer (yes, I've been in the Rhino and ESP, too). However, I kind of like being referred to as the 'new guy.' Makes me feel like a kid again.
And remember, look for us Jan. 5 all over town.
Posted on December 18, 2004 4:06 PM
I am trying to locate a copy of the magazine NCBoating Lifestyle with the article about Washington, NC. I think it was the January 2005 issue. We received our copy, but it was missplaced.
Thank You
BJ Ebe
Posted on February 27, 2005 10:58 PM