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WEHCO’s Chattanooga paper moves to weekday digital
Guest Column: Arkansas newspapers and 9/11
By Michael B. Dougan
Arkansas Press Association
Publisher Weekly Vol. 16 | No. 37 | Thursday, September 16, 2021 | Serving Press and State Since 1873
Arkansas Times’ Leveritt adapts to survive in news industry If sustainability and mere survival in the news industry merits an award, then Arkansas Times publisher Alan Leveritt is glad to accept it. Leveritt said he can’t think of many other reasons he was named to Editor & Publisher magazine’s “15 Over 50” list honoring newspaper veterans from across the country who are 50 or older. Leveritt, 69, has published the Arkansas Times since the mid1970s, directing its transitions from monthly magazine to weekly newspaper and back, while bolstering its internet presence and restoring the financial viability of the product. Editor & Publisher said its 15 over 50 honorees “have transformed themselves just as the industry has during the past few decades” and are “sharing their passion and experience with younger colleagues” to secure the future of the newspaper business. Leveritt is the only honoree from Arkansas in 2021. “I’m just proud to still be here … There is something to be said for longevity,” Leveritt said. “It’s just whether we can keep evolving and adapting and changing our business model to survive.” According to Leveritt, the Times lost revenue in 2018 after several years of declining profits. The following year, it scrapped its weekly print publication to focus on paid digital subscriptions. At the same time, it reverted to the monthly magazine format familiar to loyal Times readers from its first 17 years. Meanwhile, the organization ramped up its event hosting, further diversifying and increasing its revenue. “The writing was on the wall,” in 2018, Leveritt said. “We knew we couldn’t last another year, so we went back to a monthly glossy magazine and actually made money. We’ve had to change formats, our website has become more and more important as a revenue stream, and we’re also doing events. The events just wear me out, but we’re going to be in the black this year.” Continued on Page 2