Captain's Log

There are weeks when the job of running newspapers feels very dignified. This was not one of those weeks.

This was a windshield week.

Up and down Interstate 80, from Fernley to Fallon to Lovelock to Winnemucca to Battle Mountain and back again, visiting with our teams and checking in on the communities that keep these papers alive. There’s something about that stretch of road that always clears my head. Miles of sagebrush, a few jackrabbits if you’re lucky, and the occasional truck blowing past you doing 85 like the Nevada Highway Patrol is merely a suggestion.

The good part of the drive is the people at the other end.

We spent time with our staff in Winnemucca this week, getting to know each other a little better as Fallon Media settles in. There’s a lot of excitement about bringing strong local news back to the Humboldt Sun and the Battle Mountain Bugle, and I have to say—this crew knows their towns.

I also had the chance to speak at the Winnemucca Chamber of Commerce luncheon with our new team. It’s always interesting to stand up in front of a room full of people and explain that yes, we really do believe local newspapers are still one of the most important pieces of civic infrastructure a town can have. Judging by the conversations afterward, the room seemed to agree.

Of course, no road trip would be complete without a stop at the bank.

Part of the adventure this week involved making sure that checks written in Winnemucca can actually be deposited in a Fallon Media account. This turns out to require paperwork, conversations, and the occasional raised eyebrow from a banker trying to understand why one company now owns half the newspapers along Interstate 80.

But that’s the work.

One mile, one town, one newspaper at a time.

So, while I try to find my driver’s license for the bank lady, we will all still be right here.

Keeping you Posted.

Rach