There’s been many challenges to inventing and creating my own news source for the Louisa/Lawrence County and Ft. Gay/Prichard area.
Going on 15 years ago I started blogging five years after I sold my newspaper in Martin County, which I owned and operated for nearly 10 years. The result is that it has evolved as the first successful ‘online only’ newspaper in the state.
Also included in my newspaper experience is five years as editor of The Martin Mercury and stints at papers in Johnson and Magoffin County. My education includes a BA in Political Science at EKU, an MA in Secondary Education from Morehead State and I received an Honorary Doctorate from my alma mater, Eastern Ky. University for my work in education and the environment. I also managed to get in 25 years of teaching Advanced Government, Civics and American History at Sheldon Clark high School and at Inez Middle School. Also drove a bus.
During the 14 plus years at TheLevisaLazer.com we have faced many obstacles and overcome them. We have used part time workers most of whom have never been in the news business, and trained them to attend meetings and take video and pics.
That’s what a newspaper (online or on news print) does and in this time of evolving news styles and sources on the web, the ease and savings in pulp paper costs are driving most news organizations to the web so things are not the same as they were ten years ago when we were first accepted into the Kentucky Press Association as a legitimate news media.
Those who would tell you The Lazer is not a ‘legitimate’ news source need to know the facts. We are the second most widely read news source in our coverage area according to Google, behind only a sports site. During the past week we had a story that got 57,000 impressions and a 69,000 post reach. Another story got nearly 40,000 so far.
We are moving past the smears by a few butt hurts, as we offer a veteran staff in Heather Smith, Wade Queen and Bo Brumfield all who have been with us more than five years. And we have added reporter Susan Salyer, a Lawrence Co. native with deep roots in the community, and Grayson girl Lindsy Marcum, a junior at EKU, who is helping build our advertising department.
We have a new Digital Marketplace where businesses and others can post their want ads and for sale and about anything else for sale for just $6.50 a week ($25 month).
Saturday, July 23, 2022
Board to consider two applications to join as KPA Online Newspapers
The Kentucky Press Association Board of Directors will be meeting Thursday, July 28, in Louisville and has a full agenda on its plate.
Included in the action are applications from two publications applying as “Online Newspaper.”
The two applicants are:
• Linknky (http:www.linknky.com)
• Owensboro Times (http:www.owensborotimes.com)
Two years ago, KPA members voted to extend full member benefits to Online Newspapers. That means those publications are eligible to vote on KPA business matters; eligible to hold office; use the KPA Freedom of Information Hotline; and enter the KPA contests as well as other benefits.
To be eligible for consideration, an Online Newspaper must meet these criteria:
