Move over Gannett-owned Tea-Harrisburg Champion.  Harrisburg Today is joining you on local news racks. The newspaper debuted Friday, December 7th.  It is owned by New Century Press, Inc., which publishes other Sioux Empire-area weeklies such as The Sioux County Index-Reporter.

According to a front page story in their first issue, the new weekly has been contemplated for some time.”We have looked at Harrisburg with interest nor nearly two years as the community has continued its incredible growth,” said NCP, Inc. COO Jim Hensley.

The paper is edited by Jamie Gibson.  The office is located at 105 Railroad Ave in Harrisburg.  Email is htoday@ncppub.com.  The paper costs one dollar but is being distributed free to local residents for one year.  The paper publishes on Fridays.

Today is not the first foray into the Harrisburg market.  Mark Haugen, now an aide to Sen. John Thune, started The Champion about nine years ago then sold it three or so years ago to Gannett.  I was a columnist for Mark.  He concentrated on local news and events and his own, shall we say, unique conservative editorial bent.  The Champion was well designed and successful.

The Champion today under Argus Leader control has been tarted up a bit with full color but lacks Mark’s passion for the community and independent voice. 

The first round of columnists in Today seem to be playing it safe politically, writing more slice of life columns than taking on local issues.  But this is only their first issue so time will tell if they decide actually throw themselves into the fray in things like the Harrisburg School Board or Harrisburg water problems.  I hope so.

Mark had no such reluctance, which made him a great publisher and made his paper a player in local issues.  You read The Champion to find out what was REALLY going on, not just the local leaders’ pablum about what was going on.

Harrisburg doesn’t need another yea-rah-everything-is-great cheerleader.  Like the old Champion, the community needs a voice that will report on actual issues and take actual stands on those issues.  In other words, act like a real newspaper.  Otherwise, frankly, it will be nothing more than another shopper that gets tossed in the recycle bin.

(Cross-posted to the Home Edition of SD Watch and SDW @ KELOLAND.com.)Sphere: Related Content

Technorati Tags: Harrisburg Today, The Champion, Tea-Harrisburg Champion, Argus Leader, Gannett, Inc., newspapers, local news, Harrisburg, South Dakota

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