Local journalism is important. We need to know what’s going on in town. We need to know what our elected leaders are doing. We need to feel connected. Local journalism can do that.
The Hendersonian is a monthly newsmagazine, a sort of hybrid newspaper and magazine. I’ll be honest—a monthly can in no way cover all that Henderson needs covering. There’s just too much. It’s a start, though, with hopes we grow later.
The concept of this venture is simple: “About Henderson, For Henderson.” This publication aims to celebrate the people in this town and county—Hendersonians.
The publication will also cover issues that affect residents. That’ll be a tough job for a monthly. We’ll do our best to find necessary stories that other outlets haven’t covered, and we’ll do our best to find a different angle in covering those subjects others have already beaten us to. It should be fun.
We’ll also look to have fresh takes on books, music and movies. We’ll lean in on creatives in town and hope to find ways to boost their work because artists, writers and musicians rarely get paid what they’re worth.
We hope to put out a publication that is both needed and wanted.
Paying for this—the money side of it—keeps me up at night. I already know, even as the first issue is published, that the business side of things will have to evolve and will probably have to evolve continuously. As I’ve talked to people about this the past couple months, I’ve asked how a publication can help a business’ advertising needs.
Can we set up groups of businesses that work off each other in advertisements?
How can print and a website and social media all work together in an ad campaign?
Is sending the publication through USPS direct mail attractive?
I don’t have the answers. But my gut says there is a way to make it work long-term and in a way that benefits businesses, this publication, and in the end, the community. There’s some sort of interdependence that can help everyone—we just need to find it.
A big thank you to all the businesses that advertised in this first edition. It’s not lost on me that you are taking a risk with your money on an unknown entity. I appreciate your willingness to help get this off the ground.
Many other businesses I stopped in once and never made it back, or I didn’t get a chance to stop in at all. I wish that we could have connected. I ran out of time. If you’re interested in advertising or just hearing my best elevator pitch, give me a call at 270-823-0901 or send me an email to ads@the-hendersonian.com. I’d love to hear what you have to say.
If you see me on the street, stop me and say hi. Tell me what stories the Hendersonian should cover and suggestions you have.
I’ll let you know that I’m not doing this because I think it’s a good business opportunity. (That remains to be seen.) I’ve worked at two daily newspapers in Kentucky and won some awards and later taught college journalism classes. I’ve tried my hand at other things, even going overseas to China to teach English. For some of us, though, journalism kind of gets in your blood. A dream of mine for many years has been to start up my own magazine. For many, many months, I mulled this over until I finally decided if I’m ever going to do this, now’s the time.
In this issue, many aspects of economic development are covered, a local author talks of her new book, contributor Tramp Lawing interviews the lead singer of Snake Oil, a band headlining the Summerfest, and we cover the tragic death of one of our own, Juliana Farmer, who was killed in a mass shooting in Louisville on April 10. Please keep her family and friends in your prayers and in your thoughts these next months.
With that, I humbly submit to you the first edition of the Hendersonian.
Vince Tweddell
Publisher/Editor