Dear Advertisers,

There have been some changes in September at The Journal, and this is an overdue update for you on what’s new and what’s ahead.

I’m happy to announce I am the new publisher of The Journal. It’s my job as publisher to establish and maintain advertising revenue and community engagement. It’s an exciting change from the ad director role I’ve had in Durango with Ballantine Communications for the past two years.

This change brought the departure of advertising representatives Ami McAlpin and Ryan Robison, who have taken new career paths in our community. I’m thankful for the work they gave to our newspaper and advertisers, and it won’t be the same to embark on this path without them. However, I am excited because we will work together in new ways for our community.

We are continuing our ZUMAG publication, and the next issue will be out on Oct. 20. I am thankful for our advertisers, whose support helped make this magazine and the shape it takes as we grow. We’re fortunate for the support of Ballantine Communications to give us the opportunity to share the stories of living and working in our area through ZUMAG. I’ll be following up with our plans for the holidays and 2018.

The Journal’s advertising is growing with the changes small newspapers are tackling. I am excited about the different online marketing and video ads we can create that will support our business community’s success and growth.

The Journal’s newspaper reaches 3,700 people twice a week, and its website, The-Journal.com, reaches more than 35,000 people a month. I want to help meet our business clients’ needs by combining the right mix of traditional newspaper advertising with the fast-moving digital marketing tools we can offer.

We have a small creative team of advertising writers, artists and a videographer that will deliver the quality work to make the strategies we develop to be as awesome as possible. The goal is to offer the best marketing choices and service to our advertising partners and ensure our mutual success and growth. Our classified ads and obituaries are managed by Tamara Desrosiers, who heads up our front desk.

I’ve also been invited to join Ballantine Communications’ editorial board, in part to share our community’s interests. This responsibility is my other focus and to lead The Journal’s community engagement initiatives. I believe The Journal is a trusted adviser to our county, which I want to carry into being the resource for assisting nonprofits and sponsorship programs.

Being able to brainstorm ideas and connect on the issues that matter most to us locally will be a key component to making these initiatives. It’s important you can share your ideas and feedback so we can build initiatives with our advertising department to support the economic and holistic growth in our area.

In the newsroom, Managing Editor Trent Stephens and reporters Jim Mimiaga, Stephanie Alderton and Emily Rice will continue to focus on local and regional news and will remain a division of The Journal separate from the advertising and editorial departments. Regional Sports Editor John Livingston leads freelance writers including Ian MacLaren in our efforts to report on local sports and recreation.

It’s an excellent, talented team of people, and I am thankful for their hard work and dedication to The Journal.

Please reach out to me anytime. I am in Cortez, 4.5 days a week, working from our office at 8 W. Main St. Or just stop in and say hello.

I appreciate your work and opinions. Living in Montezuma County is better because you’re invested in being here. Thank you for being a part of The Journal and our mission forward.

Sincerely,

Colleen Donley

Contacts

Key contacts at The Journal

Advertising

Publisher Colleen Donley: cdonley@the-journal.com or 970-564-6022

Ad Rep Tamara Desrosiers: tdesrosiers@the-journal.com or 970-565-8522 or 970-564-6026

News

Journal newsroom tip line: news@the-journal.com or 970-564-6030

Managing Editor Trent Stephens: tstephens@the-journal.com or 970-564-6030

Reporter Jim Mimiaga: jmimiaga@the-journal.com or 970-564-6034

Reporter Stephanie Alderton: salderton@the-journal.com or 970-564-6029

Reporter Emily Rice: erice@the-journal.com or 970-564-6036