I am writing this column to introduce myself as the new editor of THE PAPER — a position gained by default and helped by a mild case of insanity.
The former editor,Mrs.Sharon Mier, who had the afore-mentioned malady in abundance, has gone on to greener, less hectic pastures. Her husband was awarded a fellowship to Cornell University in New York.
This community owes Sharon Mier a great debt of gratitude. She was the one who patiently nursed THE PAPER through its painful beginning stages. She was on the telephone so much that her small children grew to regard the ringing phone as competition and cried on cue. Through the wee hours of the morning with the punchy production crew putting finishing touches on the layout, through the times when the copy was locked up in an office and a company contracted to produce the paper quit in mid-deadline, Sharon exhibited the utmost patience combined with the right amount of toughness and humor to keep everyone from going off their rocker and quitting. She had that rare quality in a person — respect for the opinions of others and, most important, she BELIEVED in THE PAPER and this community — enough as she said, to risk the divorce courts by turning her apartment into a madhouse once a month.
As she leaves, I think it is time to retell the story of THE PAPER’S beginnings and its goals.
Although the idea of a community newspaper has been kicked about for years, THE PAPER did not actually get started until two community activists, Pat Kohn and Susie Roach, decided to put their whirlwind energies to the task. They found Sharon, enlisted her help, felt out Washington University and enlisted the help of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Council, which had recently completed a survey.
They then set up the first meeting attended by approximately 30 neighborhood residents — some just communityminded types and others with professional journalist experience.
At this meeting it was decided that the newspaper would be totally independent of any organization, including the Council. Each person described their experience and the type of work and hours they had available to work on a newspaper. It was apparent that there was a considerable amount, of journalism talent available in the community. The three people with the most newspaper experience were drafted to be the editors. They were Sharon Mier, who has helped put out a community newspaper in California, Ed Schafer, a professional journalist now working for the Sporting News, and myself. At that time I was producing and writing a monthly newspaper, School and Home, for the parents of the children in the St. Louis Public Schools. The staff then looked at various newspapers and decided that they wanted the community newspaper nearest to the type and style of “School and Home.”
In general it was decided that final decision and responsibility would rest with the editor-in-chief and THE PAPER would function with as few meetings as possible with assignments, etc. given out by phone.
Presently THE PAPER is produced entirely by volunteers. No one is paid. We are incorporated as a non-profit organization. The expenses are met — just barely met — by advertising. We break even. However, unless we can recruit an advertising manager with the time to really work at the job, we may not be able to meet our production costs in the future. We also need more people with the time to relieve the editor of some of the assignment tasks.
Washington University officials generously agreed to let us use their composer machines. We pay an operator to work on the machines and for the printing — total cost around $300, depending on the size of the issue. The rest of the work the writing, typing, headlines, photography and layout are done totally by neighborhood volunteers under the direction of the editors.
It’s a big job. We are very proud of the way the community has responded. Yet we need more response — more letters to the editors — more representation of the views of the people living in the 5700 blocks and Washington Heights. We have enlisted the help of the Council in this endeavor. If you are interested, if only in typing or errand work, please call 863-3037.
Now after four issues — our production problems have lessened,and we are turning our efforts to making THE PAPER truly representative of the community — to getting a wide spectrum of opinion and participation.
As a newspaper we pledge to cover all the news in the community as fully and professionally as possible and to serve as a vehicle of communication for all groups — not any special one.
Originally published in The Paper, September 1970.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1970_09.pdf, printed page(s) 3.
