225 years, two families guiding The Sentinel

The Keene Sentinel has certainly innovated over its 225 years, but the pace of innovation went into high gear with the digital revolution of the last few decades, publisher Tom Ewing said in a recent interview. One thing that hasn't changed, he said, is the importance of a local newspaper to its readers. "I view community newspapers as community institutions," he said. "I think they're important for a community to have. "Keene and the Monadnock Region is better served having a locally owned, or at least locally operated community newspaper. I think that it's a testament to the organization that it has lasted 225 years, delivering on its mission to serve the news and information needs of the region." Family ownership of newspapers was once common, but now is less so. In the past 10 years, most of the 1,200 newspapers that changed ownership in the U.S. were sold by family-owned companies or small regional chains, according to research from the University of North Carolina. Many private owners regarded their newspapers as not just a business but something of a public trust with a goal of community service. For all but 27 years of its existence, The Sentinel has been owned wholly or in part by two families – the Prentisses and the Ewings. John Prentiss founded the paper in 1799 and the Ewing family has been involved since 1954. Tom Ewing bought The Sentinel from his uncle and aunt, James and Ruth Ewing, in 1993. He noted that the newspaper industry was very different then. There was less competition for advertising, a key source of revenue. People had fewer choices about where to get their news and information. The newspaper was strictly a physical product, not something that could be read on a computer. But as the Internet and social media grew, people gained more options, including free ones, to find content. The result was newspaper advertising, circulation and revenue declined, newsroom employment dropped, many local publications were purchased by large corporations intent on cost-cutting and many newspapers simply went out of business. But local news remains of interest to many people, and community newspapers are sometimes the only place where it can be found, Ewing said. People want to know about what's going on in the neighborhood, local government, schools and athletic competitions. Local papers can also serve as a watchdog on local government and other institutions. "One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how people really appreciate the newspaper," Ewing said. "In past days, people might have been more willing to take papers for granted, just because they were ubiquitous and pretty successful. "But now times are such that there needs to be a greater level of community financial support in a way the old business model didn't require. Being able to run a newspaper off of mostly advertising revenue isn't working any more." Like many newspapers, The Sentinel seeks community support in the form of subscriptions and donations to help pay for its journalism, including news and features both for its print edition and online. The Sentinel has a frequently updated website that includes an e-edition, or a replica of the regular newspaper. It also maintains a social media presence and has a mobile app that provides a range of information, including breaking news updates. Top headlines are sent to readers Monday through Friday by email. There is also a weekly emailed newsletter about local health topics and one about local arts, entertainment and dining. Newspapers are now delivered via the postal service instead of independent contractors. As one of the oldest newspapers in the country, The Sentinel has had many changes over the years, but attention to reader demands has been a constant. "It's such a different era for us," Ewing said. "We are pushing out news in so many different ways. "I have always thought the print newspaper is an incredibly efficient way to absorb information, but we have to be mindful of reader habits, particularly the younger generation of readers. They are very much used to looking at things in their hand." Rick Green can be reached at rgreen@keenesentinel.com or 603-355-8567.