Are we nuts or what? Two editors, motivated by good writing, venturing into the dog-eat-dog world of publishing? A couple of neophyte entrepreneurs set on succeeding in a business increasingly dominated by Walmartesque conglomerates?
Nine months ago we had no intention of owning a paper. We had just invented one we liked a lot — Vox— and looked forward to writing and editing it for years to come. But a sudden change in the paper’s ownership drastically altered our plans. In short, we realized the only way to carry out our editorial mission was to become our own publishers.
It was a daring — some may say downright risky — move, and one that would probably have been impossible anywhere else. Where — if not Vermont — can you have a chat with the mayor in the morning and turn up in his speech that afternoon? In what other city does the electric company offer words of encouragement as they’re hooking up your service? Ditto the phone guys, landlord and parking lot attendant.
Maybe we are crazy. Crazy to think Vermont deserves a feisty, provocative weekly owned and written by people who know the community. Crazy to believe that people appreciate intelligent, well-written articles on pages that look as good as they read. Crazy to want to work this hard to make it happen.
One thing’s certain: We’re crazy about this paper. The goal of Seven Days is to provide a weekly mix of articles about people, places and things worth doing, as well as news — with a twist — reviews, opinion, entertainment and up-to-the-minute listings. In short — the definitive word on life in Vermont.
Thanks to all the other people out there who share our vision and believe we can transform it into newsprint — our staff, investors, advertisers, family and friends. Seven Days will deliver.
This article appears in Back to School • 1995.
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