New paper hits south suburban Dallas

Yes, the Suburban has its first issue out, and yes, I am the editor of this new entry in south suburban Dallas newspapers.

I tell people I am “cautiously cautious” about its future.

Pluses?

Free throw, so no second-class postage costs or subscriber list overhead. Living very cheaply in borrowed office space right now. Tab design, bit snarkier contents, to set us apart from old Today.

All good.

Perhaps not so good?

Today’s old ad manager is the publisher. Not everybody who refused to buy ads in Today was reticent because something was wrong with them. True, even advertising salespeople, though not as much as editorial staff, can rub people in a city the wrong way. But… well, I’ll just leave it at that.

Spreading too thin? Trying to cover (allegedly and theoretically, Midlothian and Grand Prairie as well as Best Southwest suburbs)? That’s biting off too much. Besides, the GP car dealers aren’t buying major ads for 18 months still anyway.

And, new financial backers who may not realize all they’re biting off, not just on the finances, but with the new publisher.

But, what are your options?

A weekly insert, or free-standing twin, from the Dallas Snooze? Nice, for people who submit short feel-good stories, but, unless it actually does news reporting, you’ll see no hard news there. And, how many ads from your “neighbor” businesses in this area do you see there? If you’ve looked at it, you know the answer.

That insert’s parent paper? Well, to use the phrase I used on one of its blogs, there’s always people not just south of the Trinity, but south or southwest of the Dallas city limits who will go “whoring after the Morning News.” (Thanks to the prophet Elijah for the original version of the saying.)

Besides, about the only time it’s down here for news is news the local area definitely doesn’t want to “whore after.” Now, if it is truly news that needs investigative work, I’ll admit the Be Low Mansion still has resources I don’t. But, otherwise… ask the Cedar Hill City Council if it liked being “steaked out” by the News.

The daily newspaper that’s supposed to be local? Its owner is a nice enough person, but he really wants to be a daily paper so he can run national advertising inserts. He doesn’t want to bother with running smaller local ads, while we’re ready to take yours. And, that’s about it.

Speaking of blogs, there’s a couple around here besides my own, but they won’t give you the same breadth of coverage we do. It’s hard to do, especially when one is run by someone who used to live in Ellis County and is now in New Hampshire, and often writes from a solipsistic 12-year-old dime-store libertarian angle. (Warning: Professional writer at work; do not string together so many consecutive modifiers on your own.) And, for businesses, no blog is going to give you the advertising exposure we ill.