Last week, the Linn County Journal marked one year since it first began its online publication.
Looking to serve the broader need for an objective, professional news source for Linn County, our staff of two and several contributors have worked to make the Journal the go-to source for local and state news.
With our own on-ground reporting of local government – whether county, cities or school boards – we have been able to supplement those stories with those from the Kansas Reflector, a non-profit, online news organization whose editor was named Journalist of the Year in 2021 by the Kansas Press Association.
We recently began incorporating articles from the Kansas News Service as well to give us broader coverage of regional news.
The response from readers has been humbling. Our website typically averages more than 1,000 visits per week. Occasionally some of our individual stories have received 3,000 or more hits, and our articles have been republished on websites and and even quoted on talk radio.
While most of our readers are from the Linn County area and surrounding counties, we also track visitors from California to New York and Florida to Oregon.
As with any new venture, getting the Journal off the ground has been marked with ups and downs. Many businesses are still reluctant to use website advertising even though making purchases on the Internet or contacting merchants via online advertising is the new norm.
Advertisers who use our website see it as an effective, economical tool to get their message out to readers.
While we don't have subscription fees, we have had many people either contribute to the Journal or take on voluntary subscriptions, paying from $6 to $15 a month. Those contributors have been a lifeline in helping us bring you updated coverage.
We realize that not every one can afford to make a donation, particularly as the price of energy and groceries continues to rise. However, our goal continues to be making the Journal accessible to everyone for free.
If you haven’t already done so and can afford it, please consider making a contribution to keep the Journal running. If you can’t afford it, please patronize our advertisers and let them know how much you appreciate the Journal.
Here is the link to our pay site: https://www.linncountyjournal.com/support-the-journal
We publish articles on our website daily except on Sundays. To be sure you get notified of the latest news, become a subscriber to our free emails. To sign up, go to the bottom of any page on our website and fill out the form.
Finally as we look to continuing our news service for the long haul, we hope you continue to use it. And we ask that you send an email to info@linncountyjournal.com if you have a news tip or suggestion for better coverage.