Looking Back . . . and Moving Forward
As the Noblesville Times ends another year and inches closer to turning 120 years old, it seems a good time to reflect . . . as well as keeping one eye on the road ahead. After all, it’s not very wise to drive with both eyes constantly on the rear-view.
First off, at the end of every year I think back to how many times I have heard people say that our parent company, Sagamore News Media, won’t last. The predictions of doom and gloom have ranged from two weeks to six months.
Yet here we are.
Hey, I get it. SNM was born in 2004 and most start-up companies don’t make it five years. In addition, the entire media world is undergoing the most dramatic upheaval in its history.
We’ve clearly beaten the odds – just like the Noblesville Times that got its start in 1904.
But no one at the world-wide HQ is bragging. We realize we wouldn’t be here without you . . . and you . . . and you . . . and, well, you get the idea. From loyal advertisers to loyal readers to staff – past and present – you have made this happen.
To be sure, it’s been a lot of work, but it’s also been a labor of love. Over these almost 20 years, we have won a bunch of news and advertising awards. The plaques and certificates line the walls of The Times, as well as our world-wide HQ. More important than that, the report on our stewardship – what we have given back each year to this wonderful place we call home – easily is measured in the thousands and thousands of dollars.
There’s more. Unlike other places, we ask hard questions and report those answers to you. We don’t pass along the typical fluff and wire copy that’s so old by the time it gets to you it’s not even listed on your phone’s news feed anymore. Our folks – including the best columnists this side of the White River – give you news and information you’re not going to get anywhere else.
Bragging? Absolutely not. We couldn’t do any of it without you . . . and you . . . and you . . .
Before The Times hits that 120th birthday, we have more to do. We are already hard at work making some changes for 2023 – including going to a calendar-year subscription billing cycle (with a reader-friendly incentive we think you’ll love) and making some improvements to our daily pages.
Folks, it’s been a hell of a run. We’re humbled by your support.
To our advertisers, we can’t say thank you enough. Without you, there is no Noblesville Times. Subscriptions are wonderful, but advertising pays the bills. We appreciate your support and your business so very, very much!
And to the businesses who don’t advertise – I hope that 2023 changes that. I get it that many of you think the newspaper world is either dead or on life-support. But I would ask you to consider the following: How many newspapers and magazines are there in Hamilton County? Four? Five? Does that sound like a dying duck to you? And please remember that we’re not trying to sell you what we don’t have. Because what we DO HAVE is thousands of readers who aren’t a good demographic, they are a GREAT demographic. Why not help your business and reach out to them? We’re happy to make that happen! And if you are interested and don’t hear from us, let me know. I’d be honored to personally handle your business!
OK, commercial’s over. Now back to our regular programming.
To everyone, I’d like to end these ramblings with a quote from that wonderful TV character Gomer Pyle – thank you, thank you, thank you!
Two cents, which is about how much Timmons said his columns are worth, appears periodically on Thursdays in The Times. Timmons is the chief executive officer of Sagamore News Media, the company that owns The Noblesville Times. He is also a proud Noblesville High School graduate and can be contacted at ttimmons@thetimes24-7.com.