conservative paper-focus group

Hi folks-

Over the last few days, I have given considerably more thought to the paper and where we are going. A lot of great response. Only this afternoon as Tina and I drove over here to Lake George for some R&R, we talked about aspects of the paper. Some of those aspects included a "government 101" page. One of the reasons  for this "getaway" was to give some thought process to this.

Some of the answers, comments, etc. I have received, I have posted at http://tsbconservative.blogspot.com/ Not all are "favorable" but I welcome them all.

And so the next step is to develop a focus group of sorts. I feel that we need to have 4-7 people to meet monthly (Or perhaps more frequently if it comes to that, but with the internet we can do conferences without leaving the comfort of our homes. All it takes is a $30 camera microphone set up. I will be talking to a friend of mine about video conferencing. DT-you catching this?) Tina and I discussed some names and those names are on this mailing list. So if you feel that you want to be part of the focus group, let me know. Out of that group we will be picking some board members for the legal aspects of this business.

My thinking so far-

• I am actually considering October for a first issue.  In response to the positive feedback received to date.This will require a dose of startup money for the first 2-4 issues.*
• I am considering a 5,000-10,000 paper initial run. Possibly more as we see what comes in to undergird the "educational" line-see below.
• First issue will be a minimum of 16 pages. A lot of this depends on advertising and it may be more
• Money will be used to pay for establishment of company, registration of trade name, insurance, actual printing, graphics and layout, website, distribution, purchase of syndicated columns and cartoons, and related phone and office space. If you are interested in an itemized expense layout, please let me know.
• I would like to make this a biweekly.
• Contacting people in government to consider columns I have received a letter from an executive branch official who said they will write for us.
• It will have a 50 cent selling price. This will be a news stand price. That way people can spend a dollar and get one for a friend!
• It will sell to subscribers.
• It will sell advertising. A paper like this must be sustainable. For those interested in rates for either a business or political advertising, please contact me direct. I assure you the rates are reasonable. The goal is to promote the message of Conservatism.
• Develop a Sales Team A lot of this may be grass roots by simply each person receiving this passing it on to known Conservative Businesses, etc.
• "Support Donors"  giving $100 per month can receive 50 issues per publish date to distribute to offices, businesses, churches, schools, etc.. This falls under our educational process. You will also have the option of a FREE 1/24th of a page.
• A paper that will educate people about government and conservatism.
• Promotion through like minded radio (and yes, there are some out there.)
• Reduced rates in my commercial paper-this paper covers the Connecticut River Valley in VT-NH

*You will notice there is no "salary." As I locate investors and the business builds there will be a salary not only for myself, but for a reporter and an editor.

For those who have already asked...Some immediate "money issues" will be:

• Filing of LLC & Trade Name (Appx. $450 incudes review by attorney) Name is available
• Website $200 for set up and annual hosting
• Phone line setup $150
• Office Space $150 per month including heat
• Insurance -appx. $500 annually
• Layout per issue $250

If you send a check, please make it out to Servant Communications until we register name, etc..

One question that came up is "how does a paper reach a younger generation?" I have given a lot of thought to that. We will have web and podcasts, videos, etc., but I think we miss that young people do read. And while their chosen media may be a podcast, we still have an edge on this.

Some quick statistics. 

• A weekend paper has readership as high as it did 30 years ago. Daily papers have lost. And it is gaining.
• Conservative readers are looking for more.
• Many will read "print" on line. (We will have that option for subscribers.)
• Conservatism is on the rise. An independent poll shows a 8% increase at Fox News from 17% to 25% since 2000 There is a 12% increase in Conservatives who watch.
• 55% of all college students get their news by reading or hearing, not watching.

Some good research shows that:

• Conservatives read more and want more
• "Niche" papers are read more frequently and have higher numbers
• While a USA Today does great, people miss more localized news and information

I think those are good reasons for this paper to succeed.

How you can help-
By letting others you think will be interested know. Spreading the word. Forwarding this email.

Let me know if you have questions.

Sincerely,
Lee

BTW-
I put this list from a group of emails of friends, business acquaintances and the like that I have, but I do not want to waste your time. If you want to be off this list, please send me a letter. My feelings will not be hurt. Or simply write "unsubscribe" in the body of the letter.
Thanks!

Lee Johndrow
88 WCFR Drive
Springfield, Vermont 05156
802-384-3993

Why do this?

In recent days I have watched core beliefs that I have come under
attack in a greater realm. Years ago, as I mentioned in a previous
letter, I saw our political system be undermined by an executive
"order" from our then Governor, Howard Dean. He over ruled the
desires of the people of Vermont. And we got Civil Unions. Many years
ago I ran a campaign (though not to it's entirety) for a friend of
mine Ralph S., against Bernie Sanders. We lost, but we stood for what
we believed in.

Many do not even know who is in office, let alone what the offices
are. We have had a run away media, with people who want to "change
the world" rather than report the news. We must teach our children
what truth is, because it seems we have missed it somewhere. It is
not that everyone believe what I believe. That would be boring, but
that we introduce real education to young people and include in it
things like our heritage, etc.

And because I have 5 children and 3 grandchildren, I need to do this.
Lee

Some comments about where things are going?

Once again we are going after children rather than focusing on issues. Anyone following the concern of the left for Track Palin to enter the service? He was a hockey player and could prove to be a problem in the military!

Some great links...
http://michellemalkin.com/
http://www.billoreilly.com/
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com
http://www.glennbeck.com/
http://www.fotf.org

Check them out!

Just today

Just today I was contacted by a member of the Republican party with this information. It is a Vermont Chamber Of Commerce rating of legislative members. It reflects their treatment of businesses.
http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=4154

And on other notes I received information regarding syndicated columns. So we are closing in.

Lee

Some of my responses to letters below

Thanks for your input. It is truly appreciated. I have thought a lot about the younger generation.
Unfortunately, one of the noticeable problems is my generation can not often dialog their thoughts. So often it is a "parroted" response. And my generation has failed in so many opportunities to change our communities, states and nations. And as a church leader I have seen so many good people hidden away when they have the capability of changing their community in areas we can often never talk about in a church setting.
So, part of my thinking is that my generation pave the way in this area. And we move to working with a young generation by way of example.

Again, thanks for the input.

Blessings,
Lee

---

I think the answer to that is less about dominionism and rather that as believers, we must occupy until He comes. But as you say that is perhaps just a sticking point. And I think that print will bring them to the internet and vise versa.
And I responded to a friend of mine like this. as shown below.
Regarding circulation, etc., whether this is to be print, internet or a combination it requires a great deal of effort and energy. I think there is a market for this as there is nothing that really reaches this market. Unfortunately, it is one of the reasons for needing investors. But I have put together some thoughts to propagate this to many areas. For example, if we received a donation of $100 we could release 50-75 issues twice a month to schools, churches or organizations. This could put it in places where conservative thinking is not always seen. I see a lot of people sitting in restaurants, stores, malls, etc., reading.I think it has merit.
Talk to you.
Lee

Some responses to my initial letter

Read my blog.

http://fireandgrace.blogspot.com/

---

There are conservative people out there but so many will blindly vote Republican not even knowing the truth about the candidate. There are several who are pro-choice. For me this is issue number one. You see such a lack of leadership in the Vt. republican party right now. How can you have no one running for congress, The other year we had Karen Karin are you kidding me! look at the year the choice was Fred Tuttle. I see on the national level so many selling out giving up the beliefs and morals of true Americans. That is a reason why I switched to the constituion party. We need to break away from the 2 party system. I vote for who I feel is best person running. I am at a point of just shutting it all away. Consetive or Liberal we are not going to change minds until hearts change. Maybe we get to busy lableing everybody. Maybe everybody is looking for a place to be labeled wanting to belong and don't want to go deeper into the truth's. To look into subjects is hard work and usally the source you are looking at can be distorted. Alright I got called away and I vented sounds like a good idea Love ya

---

Dear Brother,

This is a well thought out article. Excellent job of making your heart known. Since you asked for feed back I will give you some. I am not convinced that a new conservative paper is the way to go simply because the times have changed concerning the medium where by people get information and dispense their world view. Every survey shows that new paper readers are older and that circulation is way down. If we are to change the world view of our nation back to sanity it must be in the way we reach the younger generation. Perhaps your efforts may be better served in some other creative way that gains the same goal. It is not my wish to discourage you in any way, I am simply giving you the feedback you asked for.

Be Blessed

---

Hi Lee:

I think that where liberalism has made its greatest gains is in the so-called news business. I am amazed at what is called news that is nothing but opinion and selected facts used to promote that opinion. I don't have a problem with liberal voices (though I rarely agree with them); I have a problem with it being called news. I think I heard Rush Limbaugh quite some time ago refer to a big change in the attitude of those going into the media. It used to be that they wanted to reach a high degree of professionalism and objectivity, to report the news fairly. Now, when journalism students are asked why they are entering this profession, their most common response is something like, "because I want to make a difference in the world." That's not journalism, that's advocacy!!

The down side of producing a conservative newspaper or blog or whatever is that mostly you will be preaching to the choir. You may make some money (nothing wrong with that), but do you "move the ball" at all?? I think there is great value in helping people with their values and beliefs, to help them to stand against what seems like a tidal wave of liberalism (especially in the northeast!). Is that your focus and purpose or are you looking to "convert" liberals?

I think for me it is hard to totally gauge the sea-change in political outlook that occurred when I accepted Jesus. I used the think that Israel was the problem in the middle east. I still remember the day that I realized that I had changed. It was shortly after accepting the Lord and prior to any indoctrination about the Christian views on Israel. I was listening to a news report on the middle east and I had changed sides! I heard it completely differently!

A similar thing happened with a woman friend of mine. She came from a very liberal family of teachers and knew that Christians were against abortion. She brought it up as I shared the gospel with her; she wanted to know if she had to have that political opinion to be a Christian. I told her "no, but you must agree to let the Lord show you what he thinks about things like this." A few months later, she attended a women's retreat where she had an opportunity to repent from abortions that she had undergone and receive healing. Something inside had changed; it wasn't her choosing really, but her willingness to let the Lord lead her.

Rush Limbaugh talks about "knee jerk liberals", but I also have a real problem with "knee jerk conservatives" and "knee jerk Republicans." I have never read where Christian leaders have acknowledged that they were snookered by George Bush's projected image of Christianity. Better than his opponents? Yes, no doubt about it, but he has not put himself on the line on the marriage issue for example. And now we have McCain who really seems to hate real Christians, but chooses one for practical political purposes. Hopefully he learns from her and she holds her ground.

I a time when folks are getting less and less of their info from printed newspapers, what will you do to counter that trend and make them buy yours?

I think that politics is more often viewed as a dirty business by those with conservative values. It seems to be all about image, compromise, and strange bedfellows. These are things that Christians, for one, rarely want to be involved in; I know I don't. And there aren't many examples of those who do stand uprightly in this arena.

---

Hi Lee:

I have been hearing about these "7 Mountains" for a while now, and wonder what in the world* is going on.

Past that sticking point, though, I am with you! I am copying in my wife Chris, a writer of occasional columns for a local MetroWest paper in MA, along with others whom I know to have such interest. I think that the Internet will be a large competitor to any new paper, be it conservative , libertarian or liberal. It isn't impossible in God: we have to think about circulation and advertizing revenue all of which are more your bailiwick than mine.

JayJaThanks for thinking of me in this! Chris and I have been talking about it already.

God bless
Dave

*http://livingjourney.wordpress.com/2007/12/10/dominionism-the-seven-mountains/

The Beginning

Hi folks-

I have been giving a lot of thought to the elections, the loss of thinking people and a group of people who are fair minded and often not represented. I have had many conversations about the positions people choose, often with no thought about what is coming next.

I have given considerable thought as to why it is so difficult to raise up people with conservative values who consider offices. I personally live in one of the most liberal states in the Union. And while I know there are more conservatives than our state is given credit for, it is often hard to tell. Only the other day, I received a snub from a very liberal representative in our state. Her reasoning for the snub was my stand with the Vermont Family Institute as our state pursued Civil Unions. And many know we "got" Civil Unions despite the 70% plus showing in opposition by our then (And always liberal.) Governor Dean who signed the measure into law behind closed doors allowing that "Vermonter's" were not smart enough to make the right decision. He also was know for "You know, the Republicans are not very friendly to different kinds of people. They're a pretty monolithic party. Pretty much, they all behave the same, and they all look the same. ... It's pretty much a white Christian party.'' --speaking about the lack of outreach to minority communities by political parties.

"Pretty much a white Christian party." I think that is how Conservatives are often viewed.

Conservatism is defined as follows:
1 capitalized a: the principles and policies of a Conservative party b: the Conservative party
2 a: disposition in politics to preserve what is established b: a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions, and preferring gradual development to abrupt change; specifically : such a philosophy calling for lower taxes, limited government regulation of business and investing, a strong national defense, and individual financial responsibility for personal needs (as retirement income or health-care coverage)
3: the tendency to prefer an existing or traditional situation to change

And if it were to be known, I personally am probably more of a Libertarian than a Republican. (Though I belong to neither.) I think that Sarah Palin is a fine representative(Though I am sure we will "hear differently" from the media.) of what God is trying to do. Does that mean I think God is a "republican?" No. But I do think believers have a place and a purpose in politics. As Rick Warren said recently, "I believe in the separation of church and state, but I do not believe in the separation of politics from religion. Faith is simply a world view. A person who says he puts his faith on the shelf when he's making decisions is either an idiot or a liar. It's entirely appropriate for me to ask what is their frame of reference." I think we have a responsibility to shape our world. One of the "7 Mountains of Influence" is Government. Another is Media and another Business. I believe that Jesus said "Occupy until I come." And I have taken that seriously over the years.

And that brings me to this place. Over the last few months as I have looked at helping others develop their newspapers while I have developed mine I have learned a lot. (I still look to The New England Flame coming back in to print.) And as I have been asked to help with others I have noticed a trend, liberalism. I have met more than my share of liberal thinking reporters, editors and owners. And it has been hard. And it caused me to think about what I could do here. And so I began to percolate. What were the things that caused me, a liberal, hippie, worldly thinking person to become a conservative. Certainly, it was Jesus for a lot of it, but I also found my thinking shaped by people like Cal Thomas, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and others. And it has led me to some interesting conversations, but one of the things is that I began to think it "could work."

A conservative paper to restore conservative values, preserve family and shape and promote good thinking. And perhaps even a platform to show that conservatives are not who we are said to be. For instance that we care about the environment or that we are strong givers. I thought what could I do. And as I spoke to friends they began to say, I think this is really a great thing.

What could we offer besides good columns? (I am waiting to see what it costs to publish columns by David Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Cal Thomas, and others.) What about education? Like educating people on how to run for office. (About 16 years ago I ran a campaign for a friend of mine against Bernie Sanders, our Socialist Senator. We were the pro-life choice.) Or teaching people not to parrot the "party line" but to investigate the truth? Or faith and politics? Or teaching about conservative values? Or promoting businesses who support conservative values? What do conservatives look at politically? How do we think? Like, I want a Conservative 101 class. To introduce people to what it means. To even clarify what type of Conservative one might be. (Ever hear of Crunchy Conservatives? Or "How Birkenstocked Burkeans, gun-loving organic gardeners, evangelical free-range farmers, hip homeschooling mamas, right wing nature lovers, and their diverse tribe of countercultural conservatives plan to save America (or at least the Republican Party)." Or fiscal conservative or cultural conservative or neo or paleo or social conservative? What is it linking us together? One of my friends calls himself a Goldwater Republican. (You can tell how old he is.)

As I told one of my friends, unlike a lot of other things I have undertaken in my life, this can not be started on a shoe string. The last few months of being sick, having my home be "under water" and other things (Like my office...) tells me, this needs "partners" and prayer people. So, as well as looking for an editor and a few people to sell, I am looking for people who would consider investing. I am going to assemble a company. I have a name in mind. (No, it is not "Am I the Only One Out Here?") I have a business plan of sorts. And I am recovering my energy and am going to begin to seek out friends who are conservative in their thinking and have an ability to convey it.

If this is "where you live" and know others who might be interested, I hope you will pass this letter on to others and encourage them to contact me.

So, you can...
Pray for us. Favor, health and wisdom.
Invest in this. (Send me a letter and tell me your interest. I think we need about $25,000 to do this.)
Advertise with us.
Write for us.
And whatever else the Lord shows you.
Let me know.

Sincerely,
Lee