Happy birthday local news!
OPINION: This article reflects the author's opinion, not tied to the publication
One year.
One year ago, The Hutchinson Tribune was born.
One year ago, a 16-year-old and research librarian launched a local news publication while still being in school and work. They did not know where or how the publication would go or if it would survive when the teenager returned to high school.
One year ago, a void was beginning to be filled.
One year later, we are still here.
My very first article was covering the Hutchinson City Council’s split vote on an Evergy plat exactly one year ago, July 5, 2023.
The article was nowhere near perfect. In fact, I counted at least five grammar and spelling mistakes.
But it was a start.
Since then, we have expanded to cover:
Reno County Commission
USD 308 Board of Education
USD 313 Board of Education
General culture
Business stories
Opinion and editorial content
Sports
And more!
In all honesty, Gina and I had no idea where this publication was going to go when we began. When we began, we wanted to get one article out every other day. That then expanded to one article a day. Then two. Now? We are averaging 4+ pieces of true, local content out to our growing audience of +1300 subscribers.
When I’m out reporting, the most common question I get asked falls along the lines of: “Why did you do this/Why are you interested in this?”
The answer is simple: no community can survive without local journalism. It is not a luxury, but a necessity. We have seen in our own community the fall and rise again of local journalism.
I have truly loved writing for this publication and have enjoyed seeing it grow.
But we still have a ways to go.
We will continue to grow and share our story around Hutchinson and Reno County. Gina and I have enjoyed being advocates for our community, and I hope you have enjoyed our content and continue to support us.
If you haven’t become a paid subscriber, I would encourage you to do so. The best way to support local journalism is to subscribe.
Thank you to all of our subscribers and supporters. We can’t wait to see where our publication goes from here. Here’s to another year!
Michael Glenn is the publisher of The Hutchinson Tribune. He can be reached at mglenn@hutchtribune.com