November 27, 2024 – Baca County – Based on responses to our recent survey, notes, and letters to us about the newspaper’s future and concerns over maintaining local news, it’s clear there is a strong willingness to support the Plainsman Herald. While Kent readily admits to Hunter and Lexi that he’s not sure continuing is the smartest decision, he’s agreed to keep publishing the Plainsman Herald into 2025. In his words, “Alright, let’s change up a couple of things and give it a whirl for another year. Talk is cheap, but I mostly believe the good Baca County folks who responded to the survey and who have offered suggestions and support.” 

To better manage inflation and overhead costs, we will be raising our subscription rate to $100/year (for simplicity’s sake there will be one subscription tier), and rack papers will cost $2 per issue starting in January 2025.  We will continue to publish weekly.  We will begin sending out renewal notices again in December. You can also stop by the office to renew.  We will again be soliciting new and renewal sponsors in December as well.   

Continued publication will require a community effort. Because of the uncertainty surrounding continued publication, we are also announcing that Lexi, who has acted as our editor, reporter, and layout manager, will be leaving Baca County to pursue her next degree. Coverage of local events and layout management will subsequently fall to Hunter. In reality, these tasks should be handled by more than two people, and the workload for one individual will be extensive. A great deal of community support is needed to carry on. We have had some response regarding coverage of local meetings, but we are still looking for volunteers or contractors for these important local events. Your support is necessary for continued publication, so please sponsor, subscribe, submit photos and articles and coverage on events, and ask your friends and neighbors to do the same.  Don’t want or need a sponsorship or credit, but still want a local newspaper?  Contact Kent and offer up an anonymous donation.  It will allow us to continue bringing you really great content. 

Survey Insights

Survey responses revealed that most participants are satisfied with the Plainsman Herald. A significant 40.5% rated their happiness at the highest level of 10, while 28.6% rated it an 8. Ratings of 9 and 5 were provided by 11.9% and 9.5% of respondents, respectively. Lower scores—1, 4, and 6—were rare, with each garnering just 2.4%, and no one rated it at 2 or 3. These results highlight overall satisfaction, with many expressing high levels of happiness with the publication.

An overwhelming 95.2% of respondents indicated they would be willing to pay more than double the current subscription rate to keep the print edition alive.

Additionally, 54% expressed interest in sponsoring specific content, such as Kerry Sherman’s sports page, the popular Hooves ‘n Horns section or Dawni O’Bryan’s Happy Trails article. However, we need your email if you’re interested in sponsorship opportunities, as some who responded positively did not provide contact information. If you want to sponsor Happy Trails or Hoove’s contact us. We will be happy to begin those again when we have sufficient sponsorships.

Other survey results:

What is your favorite content in the Plainsman Herald?

Key Survey Comments:

‘I hope a solution is found. I have been thinking more and more about what some of our community members will do when the paper ends. I would like to help in any way I can. I would like to do more financially and will do what I can, but I am limited in that way, at least currently.

Such a valuable part of our county’s history!

I really hope there’s a way to keep the paper going. Freedom of the press is critical in a Democratic Republic

I love our paper and editors have been amazing to work with when I needed to place an ad or suggested an article; our local paper has been operated with great integrity and genuine interest in local activities; without our paper I’m forced to get news from national sources or other unreliable sources 🙂 

NOTE: There were many many positive comments and ideas as well as a small percentage of “you’re terrible” comments but we’re only acknowledging those, not printing them. 

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Format and Feedback

While the survey did not explicitly address format changes, a few comments suggested a newsletter format while a majority of comments emphasized a preference for retaining the traditional broadsheet format. Kent, who shares this sentiment, is not a fan of the newsletter format. One respondent suggested buying a printing press, but for now, that option is off the table.

The Value of Independence

The Plainsman Herald’s private ownership has been instrumental in its ability to ask questions, adapt and find a creative solution to continue. Unlike many rural newspapers under corporate ownership, where centralized decision-making prioritizes profits over community ties, the Herald’s independence allows flexibility. In fact, four other rural Eastern Colorado newspapers recently closed under corporate ownership due to financial pressures and rigid profit targets.

The Importance of of Maintaining Local Control of Copyright

We may well own the best collection of Dust Bowl artifacts on the planet and will probably mean Kent will never sell the paper.  Owning the copyright to the Plainsman Herald archives is essential for his historical book projects because it provides unrestricted access to valuable primary sources, eliminates costly licensing fees, and accelerates the publication process by removing legal hurdles. It ensures the preservation and authenticity of historical content while enabling the creation of unique, credible works that delve deeply into local and regional history, such as narratives surrounding the Dust Bowl. This ownership supports timely, cost-effective, and comprehensive storytelling. Kent says he may provide more detail on this later, but it certainly influences what we/he might do with this paper moving forward.  You must understand his motivation revolves around recording the history of Baca County for future generations.  Continued publication of the Plainsman Herald to him is part of that preservation effort.

Road Ahead

Again, we are still looking for volunteers or contractors for covering important local events. Your support is vital for continued publication, so please sponsor, subscribe, submit photos and articles and coverage on events and ask your friends and neighbors to do the same. Together, we can keep Baca County from joining the ranks of the news deserts. 

We are grateful for the community’s support for the Plainsman Herald. This newspaper has been a cornerstone of local life for generations, providing news and a sense of connection. However, the realities of modern publishing demand innovation and collaboration to sustain this vital resource for the future.