News Bonners Ferry proving its reach
April 6, 2011
by Mike Weland
Publisher

In more than 20 years of covering Boundary County news in some form or another, I have most often differed with the people I worked for. They're in business to sell advertising, and I am, too. All media is.

I'm different in that I am an editor, not a salesman. While I need and would welcome advertising, it's my thought that what makes the advertising work is the breadth and reach of the news published. You have to give your advertisers value. To do that, you have to be read.

To do that, you have to put news first.

That is and will always be my focus as publisher of News Bonners Ferry. An honest reporter here will not be fired because an advertiser, if we ever get one, doesn't like the implications of a well-written and factual article.

Without advertising support, News Bonners Ferry, in it's first month on-line, is building a foundation as an honest, unbiased and trusted source of news.

In March, our first month of publication, News Bonners Ferry, without fanfare, was read by 1,120 unique visitors, accounting for 24,998 "hits" on our website. The average was 81 unique visitors and 806 hits per day.

Six days into April, we're averaging 100 unique visitors per day, and 1,052 hits. As the numbers continue to improve, News Bonners Ferry is going to rank higher with the major search engines as a trusted source of local news, available 24-7, 365 days a year.

If I can continue to publish, News Bonners Ferry is going to provide what potential advertisers need; readers from around the world who might well need what advertisers offer. Most publications put advertising first. News Bonners Ferry puts timely and accurate local news first.

Our readers thus far aren't only from Bonners Ferry, though the majority are. Many of our local readers have shared our link with friends intersted in our community far away. We've had people visit our site from Seattle, New York, Sheridan, Wyoming, Puyallup, Washington, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, Arizona, Florida and many points between. We've had visitors from Japan, Canada and Europe. All in just a month.

And as word spreads via people sharing news of our site with friends via email and social networks, the number of readers will grow.

As publisher, it's my belief that if I can provide readers a trusted and timely source of news, I'll be able to offer those who choose to advertise on these pages true value for their dollar.

But before I worry about that, I have to earn the trust of readers and the community, and become a trusted outlet for your news. I value news over ads, and if it's honest news, it will be published on this site, be it a news story, a community event listing, a wedding, an obituary. The news has to come first.

I thank everyone who's visited these pages, and even more the many people who've shared news. It might take time, but the advertising support that will keep this site in publication will come to see the value in supporting this endeavor and the value it can bring to their business.

After all ... advertisers and business owners are readers, too.