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Helena World building on national register Guest Column:
Local newspapers, grocery stores face common problem
Arkansas Press Association
Publisher Weekly
By Peter Wagner
Vol. 16 | No. 22 | Thursday, June 3, 2021 | Serving Press and State Since 1873
New Paxton group publisher eager to lead newspapers in state A “hands-on” newspaperman, Mark Elliott now has his hands full. Paxton Media’s new publisher of six newspapers in Arkansas is a couple weeks into his group publishing role following a stint leading a Paxton newspaper in Hammond, Louisiana. He’ll be working out of Conway and leading newspapers in Conway, Russellville, Searcy, Heber Springs, Van Buren and Batesville. In an interview earlier this week, Elliott said he’s eager to take on a big task within a big footprint in the state. “My style is really to be hands-on, and I’ve just got to work that between the different locations here,” he said. “It’s the same concerns and work at each paper, focusing on the staff and on the sales end and making sure that everything works. I’ve been a group publisher before, but it was a different set-up there, too.” Elliott’s newspaper career has spanned nearly 40 years, and he said he recognizes how changes in technology, primarily, have benefited newspapers as well as other businesses by allowing for centralization of services. “It just makes sense to consolidate some of the administrative roles,” Elliott said. “An accounting department can be kept fully engaged with numerous papers. With technology now, there’s no reason you can’t.” One thing hasn’t changed though, no matter how many newspapers he’s managing, Elliott pointed out: “The newspapers are autonomous. I get no marching orders from corporate other than to run a good newspaper.”
Mark Elliott
The Log Cabin Democrat in Conway, The Courier in Russellville, The Daily Citizen in Searcy, The Sun-Times in Heber Springs, the Batesville Daily Guard and the Van Buren County Democrat in Clinton are all good newspapers, Elliott said. Yet, all must be prepared for change in the industry in order to thrive. Elliott stressed that a changing newspaper industry has been the norm over the last few decades, and he doesn’t expect
any fewer changes or challenges as newspapers emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. “We have to make sure we’re prepared for what’s coming in the future,” Elliott said. “In this industry, it’s just constant change and it’s something you have to deal with. Change is the job. But these are good, local community newspapers. We’ve got a committed staff keeping local, relevant content in the paper and providing a good Continued on Page 2