Wylie reminisces about a full life with 52 years at newspaper

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“We all got along really well over the years working together,” Wylie said. “We all had our strengths and abilities, and we just did it all.”

The local Herald-Democrat was purchased in 1974 and merged with The Graphic. The resulting publication became one of the largest weekly newspapers in Arkansas. Wylie said circulation reached as high as 8,900 and 24 pages or more were published each week.

The Graphic sold newspapers in racks and over the counter throughout a wide area – and continues to do so. Wylie said there currently are more than 50 sales locations. The newspaper traditionally has covered all or parts of five counties in the Clarksville area – Johnson, Pope, Logan, Franklin and Newton.

“Businesses in our area wanted to advertise with us because they knew we had outstanding coverage,” Wylie said. “They were actually just pleased to be in the newspaper.”

As is the case with most community newspaper people, Wylie wore a range of hats. He focused on advertising, but also enjoyed spot news and photography.

He and Bob both served on numerous boards in the community and made a practice of covering each other’s meetings to avoid a conflict of interest.

Margaret also was involved in all aspects of the operation, with perhaps special attention paid to advertising. She additionally had a talent he sometimes lacked – “if someone came in mad, she could make them happy. In my case, I sometimes made them madder. She was my bailout.”

The Wylies continued publishing the newspaper after the death of Bob in 2003 and Christine in 2014 – currently being involved in Clarksville newspapering for 52 years.

The family tradition lives on as the Wylies’ daughter-in-law, Megan, now is serving as the managing editor at The Graphic

A solid positive is that Week 5 and beyond involve enjoying the peace and contentment of managing his 80-acre hay farm located within the city limits of Clarksville.

Wylie is, of course, concerned about the significant reduction in recent years of both advertising and circulation in newspapers like The Graphic

“But I think there will always be a place for newspapers,” he said. “It will be up to each newspaper to figure out ways to bring back readership. I know it’s frustrating right now, but there are still people out there who like newspapers.

“I will definitely say it’s a fun business to be in. It’s a constant learning process. There’s always something new.”

Wylie thinks she has the qualities needed to be successful. “She is a very outgoing person who likes to meet people and she has a very creative mind,” he said.

He also is proud that his three grandchildren – Maya, Maebree and Nate – have worked at the newspaper while growing up. The Wylies’ son, Matt, is president of First Security Bank in Clarksville.

Wylie has mentored his daughter-in-law while also slowing down some in recent months. When he fully retired, Wylie joked that it was a four-week process:

Week One – “I miss it.”

Week Two – “I still miss it.”

Week Three – “What am I missing?”

Week Four – “What in the world am I thinking?”

He also has some advice for those trying to make it work – “The first thing is to be persistent. If you just take ‘no’ for an answer, then you are in the wrong business. If you want something, you have to work for it.”

Wylie believes the inherent accountability of newspapers makes them a stronger and more reliable form of media. “I want to see who wrote the story and I want to be able to trust the people who did.”

In that regard, he believes in strict objectivity in reporting. “We are printing facts. We print black and white,” he said. “We don’t want gray areas.

“Our job is to tell the story, your job as a reader is to decipher the facts and make a decision about the issue,” he said.

Wylie is critical of the trend for citizens to rely on the