Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick (yes- that ’s how they spelled it back then!) was the first newspaper published in America. It was printed by Richard Pierce and edited by Benjamin Harris in Boston on September 25, 1690. The journalist stated in his first issue that he would issue the newspaper “once a month, or, if any glut of occurrences happen, oftener.” Thankfully, the newspaper arrives to us daily now and we are especially honored this month to welcome Ron Wallace, publisher of the Daily Commercial and the South Lake Press, as our special guest for September’s Family Interview.
SC: Hi Ron! Thank you so much for being with us today! We know your schedule must be amazingly busy with a daily publication and we are excited to have you as our special Family Interview this month. Can you tell us a little about your family?
RW: My wife, Pat, and I have been married for 17 years and we live in Fruitland Park with our 19-year-old cat, Buster.
SC: Tell us how you ended up in the newspaper business?
RW: I landed a summer job with a newspaper that turned into a career. Of course, my neighbor didn’t want me sitting at home all summer loafing, either. That’s when he took me to interview with the Dallas Times Herald. That was 32 years ago.
SC: Can you give us a brief history of the Daily Commercial?
RW: In December 1875, George Pratt, the son of a minister, launched the first edition of the Daily Commercial, known then as The Sumter County Advance, in Leesburg. Leesburg was the Sumter County seat at the time. In 1887, many new county lines were added to Florida’s map. Lake County was carved from portions of Sumter, Marion and Orange, making Leesburg a part of this new county. On July 12, 1875, only five months before the first edition of the Daily Commercial was produced, Leesburg was incorporated. The newspaper is proud to be the oldest, continuous downtown business in Leesburg.
The newspaper has evolved in response to the area’s growth. It was known for many years as The Leesburg Commercial, but the name now reflects the paper’s commitment to both Lake and Sumter counties. The newspaper also acquired the South Lake Press, which provides south Lake County with community news and information.
SC: It seems as if there is much to be done to get a daily paper out. What is the process of how a newspaper is made and distributed?
RW: There are five key departments to help our newspaper run smoothly: Accounting (to pay the bills), Advertising (to bring in revenue), Circulation (to deliver newspapers and accept orders), Editorial (to produce content) and Production (to produce the newspaper). Each of these departments must operate at a top level for us to have a successful product each and every day.
SC: Tell us how a daily newspaper affects our community.
RW: Intensive local newspapers, like the Daily Commercial and South Lake Press, will focus on local news and advertisements to connect our readers in Lake and Sumter counties and give them information they can’t get anywhere else.
SC: What do you think the relativity is between the typical American family and the reporting of the daily news?
RW: Our readers are affected by the news each day. Let’s use one example of a story involving the local school board. Many of our readers will be interested in reading such a story because they either have a child or grandchild in the district, they may work for the district or, most likely, they’re a taxpayer and want to know how their monies are being spent.
SC: What is the responsibility of a daily newspaper and how has it changed over the years?
RW: As said before, a newspaper must inform and entertain its readers. In today’s world, however, more of our readers want their information a lot sooner. We’ve responded to that need by offering more information through our Web sites, including breaking news updates, e-mail blasts on stories and a daily headline recap. In addition, readers can catch our 7 p.m. update each day, which provides a glimpse into a few of the stories we’re working on for the next day’s edition.
SC: What is your opinion on how newspapers affect education?
RW: Studies have proven over time that those who read newspapers are more informed about what’s going on in their communities. Students who are reading the newspaper will become more informed about events on local, state, national and international levels. In addition, local residents who read about how education is being shaped in our community by elected officials will become more informed how their tax dollars are being spent, and how well our local schools measure up on a state and national level.
SC: We all know that we are now living in a web-based world. Is the Internet affecting the typical local newspaper? Tell us why hard copies are still relevant.
RW: The Internet affords our publications another way to connect with our readers. Although a growing segment of our readers are choosing to read about the news and advertisements through our Web sites, the vast majority still choose and prefer to read the print editions of both newspapers. We will continue to offer both options to cater to the needs of our readers.
SC: How has the local news changed to keep up with the changing times? How important is an online presence in the newspaper?
RW: We need always remember that we’re here for one reason, and that’s our readers. We’ve chosen to produce intensely local newspapers because we want to offer our readers a product that is unmatched in central Florida. Again, although the vast majority of our readers read our print products, we’re placing more content on our Web sites to cater to those readers who prefer to find out about local information through that medium.
SC: How can we subscribe to the Daily Commercial?
RW: There are three ways we can set up prospective readers with convenient home delivery of the newspaper. Phone: Give us a call at 352-787-0600. Mail: You can mail us at: 212 E. Main St., Leesburg, FL, 34748. Web: Visit www.dailycommercial.com and click our “Subscribe” link at the top of our home page.
SC: What’s your favorite part of the newspaper?
RW: All of it!
SC: Do you do the daily crossword?
RW: Yes, in between reading five to six other newspapers each day!
SC: What is your most recent favorite story?
RW: I enjoy reading our weekly “Everyday Heroes” segment, when we write about the good things that readers are doing in our communities.
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