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The Andover American opened its doors one year ago, on Jan. 19, 2011. Yes, that’s right – GateHouse launched a paper in Andover, Kansas. Starting a paper is an unusual story in this day and age. Editor-in-Chief Adam Knapp answers some questions about this success story.
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Why did you think the time was right to launch a paper in your town? Andover had a longtime newspaper called the Journal-Advocate that closed its doors, without warning, in 2009. That’s about the time I decided to move to Andover and start an online newspaper in the market. Meanwhile, The Augusta Daily Gazette was developing a customer base and relationships in Andover on the print side. Its publisher, Kent Bush, wanted to start a newspaper that truly married the print and digital markets. This was an ideal opportunity to do that. |
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How has the paper been received? The feedback has been terrific. More than 1,000 are picked up from racks around the city each week. Another 2,500 are delivered to homes. The website has been growing consistently throughout our first year. |
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How big is your staff? One in news and one in advertising. But in my 20 years of journalism, I’ve been fortunate to develop relationships with many talented reporters and photographers who have been willing to help us on a part-time basis. Our sister paper, The Gazette, has also been a help. |
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What’s the biggest story you’ve covered so far? The most popular story has been a debate over who was the best quarterback in Andover history. The most important stories were probably the municipal and school elections. The American became an important information source and even helped host the election forums. The biggest hard news story included holding the deadline to run photos and a story on an explosion at a local propane plant. |
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What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from this experience? To publish stories that resonate with people, and write about the issues that will affect them. My goal is to surprise people every week. I like to think we’re pretty progressive in thinking ahead, in addition to reporting what’s already happened. We have learned that “online first” publication can enhance the print product rather than taking away from it. Integrating social media into the digital printing equation is a necessity these days, not an option. We are learning every day how to build synergies with sister papers in the area to increase our quality, without affecting expenses. |
