Innovations in Media: 'Newsberg'

While visiting family in Oregon a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon an interesting print-digital hybrid that leverages old and new media to broaden its hyper-local audience. 

Newsberg serves Newberg, Oregon, a charming city of about 25,000 people that sits in the Willamette Valley wine country. The city's primary local media is The Newberg Graphic, a 138-year-old weekly newspaper and digital operation owned by Carpenter Media Group. 

But wedging its way into local eyeballs is Newsberg.org, an enterprising 3-year-old non-profit 501(c)(3) news venture that combines a weekly 2-page print product with a weekly email newsletter, active website and larger special print editions. All are free. 

Publisher Branden Andersen describes Newsberg as:

Written by a Neighbor,
For Neighbors.

Newsberg is an independent, locally owned media outlet serving the Newberg-Dundee area with daily reporting, a weekly newsletter, and a commitment to the community it covers.

Fixed formats simplify weekly pagination.

Andersen works with citizen contributors to publish about 300 stories a year, obits, job listings, local announcements and a robust local calendar powered by CitySpark. News content is straightforward, focusing on local politics, schools, parks, public safety, business, arts and culture. 

The year-old weekly newspaper is printed on high-brite 8-by-14-inch paper and distributed to local businesses (I found my copy at the local bookstore). You can also find PDF versions online. The content mix in the newspaper typically includes three articles, an events calendar, a locally drawn cartoon, a single display ad and, importantly, a refer box and QR codes promoting more content online. 

The website draws about a quarter-million pageviews a year and a robust weekly email newsletter reaches more than 4,000 subscribers. The newsletter — which has an impressive 65 percent open rate — provides a summary of the week past and what's ahead in terms of news and events. 

With so much energy devoted to the digital products, why print? Publisher Branden Andersen says this: 

"Well, obviously, because I’m nostalgic about a time when you could get your local news without popups, banner ads, and clickbait. But also, because I think there is something very connective and grounding about a printed news product. It’s something that removes you from the digital space and connects you with the world around you. As you flip through these pages, an interesting headline is likely to stop you in your tracks, leading you to a story you maybe wouldn’t have read otherwise. You may clip an interesting article to send to your friends and family. As you’re working on the crossword, you may see a useful advertisement you wouldn’t have otherwise known about. That’s part of the beauty of print. The paper is engaging without distractions. We never knew how good we had it." 

A 16-page special edition published in July was Newsberg's largest newspaper to date.After a year of publishing the weekly 2-page primer newspaper, Andersen went large in late July, printing a 16-page special edition in conjunction with the annual Newberg Old Fashioned Festival. The section was rich with local ads, profiles, maps, event calendar and even a local event-themed crossword. Andersen described it as a test to determine whether a larger newspaper is in the future. 

All content and products are free to read. So how does Andersen make the business work?

Revenue comes from these primary streams:  

• Advertising: Andersen offers a variety of robust multi-media packages to fit a variety of budgets ranging from $35 to $750 per month. 
• Donations and contributions: Readers can contribute on a one-time or recurring basis. Newsberg is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, so donations are tax deductible. 
• Annual community sponsorships from businesses or organizations ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 or higher.
• The community can submit announcements like births, obits or milestones for free, but have the option to make a voluntary $5 micro-donation.

After three years, Andersen and his community of contributors show no signs of slowing down, leveraging old media to foster new media and deeply entrenched local journalism.