I know this is the Battle Ground Buzz but I thought I’d take a minute to recognize The Vancouver Voice for their work in our neighboring city Vancouver (they call it the ‘Couve but I’m not that cool so I still say Vancouver).
The Vancouver Voice was a free alternative newspaper that had a five year run. It was founded by James Walling, Eric Johnson and Melissa Vander Wilt in 2006. After a difficult first year financially the founders almost shut it down but instead struck a deal with the News-Register Publishing Co., of McMinnville, OR (the Bladine family).
The Bladine’s are a fourth-generation newspaper family with a community paper dating all the way back to 1866. After the Bladine family took over The Vancouver Voice in 2007 they placed their son Ossie Bladine in charge. He ran the newspaper for four years but just last month they listed the struggling publication for sale, asking $75,000 OBO.
I haven’t heard any news of any interested buyers (the newspaper was grossing $83,000 in gross revenue annually) so it looks like the final issue was printed on August 19, 2011.
Would the Battle Ground Buzz ever become a print newspaper?
My sister-in-law Chloe recently asked me if I would ever start a print newspaper.This got me thinking about the idea but I finally decided that a print publication would require entirely too much overhead. I mean if The Vancouver Voice was making $83,000 and had to shut it’s doors I’m thinking that it cost them more than $83,000 a year to run it.
Besides, the Battle Ground Buzz isn’t a newspaper. My purpose is to not only inform but to also empower the people of Battle Ground. I’m not a journalist, nor do I play one on TV, but I am a writer. So no I don’t foresee the Buzz evolving into a print newspaper.
And The Voice isn’t the only print newspaper shutting down. It’s happening a lot. People are going online to get their news and why not? It’s free, updated instantly and you don’t have to walk outside in the rain to get it.
Will we see an end to all print newspapers? I don’t know. One day maybe but it would take years for that to happen.
So I just want to honor The Vancouver Voice for all they did in our community (especially how they promoted the arts). Thank you for the seeds you planted in our community’s art movement.
About Joshua Monen
Josh is the founder and editor of the Battle Ground Buzz. He started writing online in 2007 and hasn't looked back. He left his "safe and secure" job in corporate America in May of 2011 to pursue writing full-time. Feel free to email him at josh@battlegroundbuzz.com.
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