The Newspaper Keeping Us in the Know

It seems odd to be writing about the very paper that is publishing the article I’m writing, but what better way to celebrate a business that’s been in operation for 187 years?  The Fayette Falcon has had several names over the years; however, it’s run has been continuous save for a year or two during the Civil War. 39 presidents have come onto the scene and 38 have gone during the Falcon’s tenure. It has been printed a single letter at a time, improving with each new advent of technology including a linotype that used liquid lead! Thankfully technology has continued to improve, so much so that you may not even be reading this paper in hand, but instead reading it on your computer screen with the digital version.

The Fayette Falcon has changed and grown over the years just like the community it sits in. The current location is its third known location. It has drifted across the town square to ultimately end up across from City Hall. When Butch and Carolyn purchased the paper in 2002, they became the 23^rd and 24^th owners. The newspaper industry was nothing new to them, though. Purchasing it was the next logical step because Butch had been in the industry since 1965. He took a small hiatus to serve and defend our country in Vietnam from 1968-1969. He returned home to marry the love of his life, Carolyn, and his job at the Fayette Falcon. Carolyn joined him at the paper in 1995 while the Jones’ still owned it. They ran the paper together from 2002 until Butch passed in 2020. Butch had served the community by dedicating 50 years of his life to the Fayette Falcon. As with all things, there is a time for change and the following year Carolyn decided to move the paper to its current location.

The office is just as you might suspect a newspaper office to be. The scent of paper is on the air when you enter. The quiet of the office is broken only by the click of a mouse or the clatter of keys. Debra works on ads, Randy sets copy, and Carolyn is often busy listening to a recorded meeting while she types the outcome for the current week’s issue. Somewhere in the office lurks a cat who is happy to have been rescued but refuses to show her gratitude. Patches lives the high life of a cat in the publishing industry. In the back of the office, you’ll see this week’s paper being pieced together physically like it was in days gone by. It’s not necessary because the paper hasn’t been pieced together and delivered to the printer since 2004. It’s sent digitally and immediately on Monday mornings. However, Carolyn finds she can deliver a better quality product when she can see the product in real time and in real size. It’s her personal touch that guarantees the reader a great experience.

It’s no small job being the only newspaper in a county of nearly 42,000 people. It’s a big responsibility to report accurately on Commissioner meetings, City Hall meetings for 10 different cities and towns, births, deaths, sporting events and the daily happenings within the county. With a current staff of 3; Carolyn, her son Randy and Debra Joyner, this is an epic task. Sometimes this leaves a gap in the reporting. The Fayette Falcon recognizes this and welcomes reports from all local schools, including Buckley-Carpenter, West Junior High, Fayette Christian School, East Junior High, Rossville Academy, Fayette-Ware High School and Fayette Academy on sports, awards, honors and activities. It takes a village to raise a child, but it takes volunteers to recognize and report on those kids in our community.

Community is what brings the newspaper to life. Carolyn is quick to support the community that has supported her and her family all of these years. She doesn’t charge for benefits, obituaries or school information printed in the paper. It’s one of many ways she gives back to the community that continues to purchase its news from her paper. If you aren’t a subscriber to this paper you’re reading right now, you should be. Stop by the office to start a subscription or go online to www.fayttefalcon.com . You can start your subscription there and receive your weekly edition of the paper a day early online.  It’s hard to estimate the impact of community newspaper, but this quote by Michael Connelly makes his thoughts on it clear, “A newspaper is the center of a community, it’s one of the tent poles of the community…”  Remember to shop local and shop Fayette first!  

Written by Karri Buck

~Originally published in the Fayette Falcon July 22, 2024~