NewsBeat

September 2022 NewsBeat 6 Harold Johnson, former president and co-publisher of the Watertown Times. (Courtesy of the Watertown Daily Times) A t the northern tip of New York state, in a land known most to many for its wilderness and brutal winters, there is some good news for people who love newspapers. There, the Johnson Newspaper Corp. is giving newspapers back to their communi- ties. Like many companies in recent years, Johnson had closed three of its weekly newspapers as advertising and subscription revenues fell. Coverage continued via the company's flagship daily paper, the Wa- tertown Daily Times but, as Alec Johnson noted recently, the people in those towns felt a loss nonetheless It was a loss reflecting more than the physical absence of the paper from their homes. For many it was a loss of tradition and heritage. "Communities identify with their newspaper and for a paper to be suc- cessful it has to be a mirror of their com- munity," he said. "Many of our readers had had the same newspaper for three or four generations." Ultimately, the company decided to res- urrect two of the three lost weeklies. Last year, the company once again began print- ing The Journal in Ogdensburg. This year, the St. Lawrence Plaindealer in Canton was brought back to life. Reaching out The decision to restore two of the papers wasn't made in a vacuum. "We talked, for example, to the folks in town who might be our advertisers," Johnson said. Others, like large employers and community organiza- tions, stepped forth in support as well. And so at a time when so many are wringing their hands about the increasing number of news deserts, two communities in rural New York state have their papers back. Johnson is optimistic about the relaunch- es. Many people in the communities rec- ognized the value of the local paper once it was gone, he said, and now are more receptive to subscribing and advertising.. The Ogdensburg paper, with a circulation over 1,200, is almost viable on circulation alone. Circulation is also good at the Canton paper, which is also de- veloping a solid adver- tising base. Johnson is particular- ly proud of the strength of his newsroom. More than a third of the company's 200 employ- ees are dedicated to news. Some positions that have disappeared at many local newspa- pers, jobs such as news librarian and editorial writer, still exist here. "That the Johnson Newspaper Corp was able to relaunch two newspapers in rural Northern New York is a testament to the families' devotion to the communities their newspapers serve, and to Alec Johnson's work ethic," said Michelle Rea, executive director of the New York Press Asso- ciation. "When Alec took the helm of the company it was in dire straits and his dili- gence, insight and leadership has resulted in the righting of the ship. "He is a savvy young talent – what our industry needs more of – and he under- stands what a community loses when it loses its newspaper. His father and his un- cle John have long been champions of the newspaper industry and it is heartening to see them bring old titles back to life," she said. Online, all the Johnson papers in the North Country funnel their news to a cen- tral website, NNY360. The Johnson family has been in the newspaper business in Watertown since 1904, when Harold B. Johnson – Alec's great-grandfather - joined the city staff. The Watertown Daily Times itself dates back to 1861, evolving from the weekly New York Reformer when the advent of the By JUDY PATRICK Johnson Newspapers restoring lost North Country newspapers

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