The Secret to Small-Town Paper Survival: Do It All Yourself

While major metro dailies trim staff and shutter

While major metro dailies trim staff and shutter presses, a different story is unfolding in places like Glens Falls, New York, where The Chronicle, a free weekly, continues to build a loyal readership. The paper’s recipe for success isn’t a secret algorithm or a digital paywall—it’s a return to hands-on, every-task-required journalism, with owners who wear every hat from reporter to distributor.

Mark and Cindy Donohue bought the paper in 2019, and they’ve since turned it into a local institution that defies industry gloom. Neither of them came from a media empire background; they simply believed that a community paper should be run like a neighborhood business—with personal stakes and daily legwork. Mark still writes several stories a week, edits everything, and personally dashes to city council meetings, while Cindy handles ads, production, and the occasional photo assignment.

The pair’s approach extends far beyond the newsroom. They deliver bundles of papers to coffee shops and grocery stores themselves, chat up readers at the post office, and answer every phone call, often before the second ring. That constant, visible presence creates a bond that digital metrics can’t quantify. Subscribers—even though the paper is free—donate to keep it alive, and local advertisers find value in a direct line to a hyper-engaged audience.

What makes The Chronicle work, the Donohues say

What makes The Chronicle work, the Donohues say, is a willingness to say “yes” to everything: covering a school board meeting on a Tuesday night, printing obituaries for free, and hand-delivering a paper to a homebound senior when the carrier misses a stop. It’s exhausting, but it builds trust, and trust translates into repeat readers.

Industry observers note that this model isn’t scalable for large chains, but it’s a lifeline for small towns. In an era of newsroom cutbacks, the paper thrives because it’s woven into the fabric of daily life—not as a distant brand, but as a neighbor you can call. The Chronicle proves that when owners treat every reader as a friend, and every story as a personal obligation, a print paper can still find its audience, one doorstep at a time.