Now in its 118th year of continuous publication, the Wrangell Sentinel is unlike any other newspaper in the world.
That's because there is no other place in the world like Wrangell.
The newspaper reflects the lifestyle and inner workings of the community. In good times and bad, the Sentinel has continued publishing, earning it the slogan of being, "the oldest continuously published newspaper in Alaska." The Kodiak Daily Mirror holds the title of being the oldest newspaper, but during World War II it ceased publication for a period of time, thus giving the Sentinel its significant claim to the title.
Given its history, we wonder if perhaps the community has gradually taken this newspaper's record of service to the community for granted. After all, the Wrangell Sentinel continues to publish week after week, year after year, announcing births, deaths, community news and civic events and all facets of activities Wrangell is involved with. Sometimes the news can be labeled bad, but in the far majority of the cases it reflects the growth, optimism and push-onward drive of this community.
Our 118 volumes contain the history of Wrangell that will never be found in a history book or even the local museum. That which is contained within our pages can't be found and restored. It has long since rotted or rusted away. Some residents have died, but in many cases their stories continue in print.
For the past 12 years retail display advertising has gradually disappeared from the pages of the Sentinel. This has significantly impacted the amount of news that is published in the paper. The number of pages of each week's paper is determined by the amount of advertising that is placed within our pages. We require that 50% of the space be used for advertising, to maintain the profitability of the business. Former publisher, the late Jamie Bryson explained in 1976: "The size of the newspaper each week is directly proportional to the amount of advertising it contains. Newspapers can't afford for long to give away any free pages. The main source of income for the newspaper is display advertising."
Like any other business, we make payroll, pay utilities, rent and overhead costs every month. Unlike most businesses, its owners have not drawn a salary from the operation for many years.
To that end, the Sentinel has been printing more and more 8-page newspapers. That cannot continue. As we, the current owners are looking towards retirement, we have to assure that the newspaper can pay salaries to its next owners and show it to be a profitable and worthy venture well into the future.
To that end, we will elaborate in future columns what is needed to keep the Wrangell Sentinel a viable business that will provide continued service to the community for decades to come.
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