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County hears request to fund new Anaconda Weekly Review; CEO supports $3,500 startup donation
Summary
Publisher James Rosien asked the Commission for a $3,500 donation to a newly formed nonprofit newspaper, saying he plans a website launch next month and hopes to resume print in September; CEO Everett and Chair Hart expressed support.
James Rosien, publisher of the new nonprofit Anaconda Community Media Company, asked the Commission to consider a $3,500 contribution to launch the Anaconda Weekly Review after the recent closure of the Anaconda Leader.
Rosien described forming a nonprofit to raise funds to print a weekly newspaper, said he has samples of smaller printed papers used in other Montana communities, and told commissioners he hopes the website will go live next month with printed editions returning in September in time to cover elections. Rosien said he intended to submit the by-laws showing editorial independence and asked the county for startup help; he also said the paper would publish legal notices and public notices and would not charge for basic meeting notices while he is publisher.
CEO Bill Everett urged support, saying "the community has kind of been in the dark for the last month and a half" and called Rosien's work fair and reflective of the community. Commissioners asked whether the paper’s publishing schedule would meet legal notice requirements; Rosien said as a weekly paper it would meet typical requirements but that the paper cannot petition for ‘paper of record’ status until it has been published for a year.
Chairman Kevin Hart and CEO Everett both voiced support during the work session; no formal donation vote was recorded in the minutes.
