By Just what the heck is The Aberdeen Insider?
Well, some of the nuances are still being worked out. But what we can say, without question, is we are a new local news outlet that will focus on Aberdeen like nobody else. That’s pretty straightforward, even if a few details need to be settled.
First, here’s how we’re keeping things local. Founder Troy McQuillen is a local entrepreneur and business owner who has been an active community member for decades. His business, McQuillen Creative Group, also publishes Aberdeen Magazine.
Elisa Sand has been a reporter in Aberdeen for almost a decade. She brings that experience to Aberdeen Insider as associate editor. And Scott Waltman is an Aberdeen native who has spent nearly 30 years in journalism, most of it as a reporter and editor here in Aberdeen. He’s the managing editor.
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Of course, none of this could be possible without our team of web specialists and designers. They are a critical part of the Insider.
We know the community, its issues and its people. We’re excited to be able to share those stories with you on a daily basis. We also print locally at Midstates Printing.
How does Aberdeen Insider work?
We offer fresh, local news online every day at aberdeeninsider.com. And beginning in April, we will have a weekly print edition. Copies will be available for free around town. Or subscribers can pay to have them delivered to their homes by mail. Here’s how it works.
- An online subscription is $8 a month or $75 a year.
- Home delivery will also cost $75 a year.
- Or, if you want access to digital coverage and home delivery, that’s available for $100 a year.
Subscribe or learn more online at aberdeeninsider.com/subscriptions. You can also stop by our office. We’re in the McQuillen Creative Group building at 423 S. Main St., No. 1. That’s between Lilly’s Floral, Design & Gifts and the Capitol Theatre/Moxie Salon & Barbershop.
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One thing you should know is that virtually all of our content is behind a paywall. You won’t be able to read, say, two free stories a week or five a month. We’ve got to pay the bills after all. However, if there is important news involving the safety of the community, we can make that content free as a public service.
If you’re interested in advertising with us, we’d love that. You can email [email protected] or call Julie Lillis at 605-290-7590. She can help you out.
What do you call yourself?
Fair question.
We have often referred to ourselves as a new newspaper in Aberdeen. But that might give folks the wrong impression as we are not a traditional daily newspaper.
First, there will only be one print edition a week, which is planned for Thursdays. It won’t be delivered to your door step, and it won’t have many of the items people think of when they think about a newspaper. For example, there won’t be a comics page, there won’t be an opinion/editorial page in every edition, with rare occasion we won’t print national or international news, and we won’t have features like horoscopes, a weather map, TV listings or stock and market closing prices.
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But fear not. We will have many of the best features a traditional newspaper does. For example, there will be Aberdeen business news, a crossword puzzle and local columnists. We’ve also started to publish local obituaries online for free and are monitoring how that works. For now, you can send obituaries to [email protected].
The plan is to eventually add classified ads to the Insider, though when has yet to be determined.
And we’re thinking about how we can get your voice in the paper and are optimistic that we can start publishing some form of letters to the editor, though nothing is finalized.
Finding ways to say yes to local news
We’re trying to find ways to say yes to more local news. One way we’re doing that is with a feature we call Community Kudos. There isn’t a specific publication day, but it will be an ongoing feature. It is a catch-all of sorts for upbeat news and photos, including educational and other accomplishments, awards, special events and honors.
News Nuggets will also be a regular feature and will include all sorts of items. Think of it as a collection of briefs that publish in a traditional newspaper.
And, of course, we’ll cover the traditional local news staples like city council, school board, county commission, crime and courts, agriculture, education, the arts, breaking news, etc.
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You can call the Insider a lot of things. A hyper-local news source works. Our mission is to be your dominant source of news for the issues, businesses and people of Aberdeen.
We’re a modest staff and won’t get to everything, but we want almost exclusively Aberdeen-relevant content for the Insider.
If you’re wondering, the best way to contact us or send us information is by email at [email protected].
Will you cover Aberdeen and Northern State sports?
We will not offer comprehensive sports coverage. That could eventually change, but right now your best option for that is our friends at SD SportScene. Dave Vilhauer and his team do a great job covering high school sports across northeastern South Dakota.
While our primary focus is news, we will have sports-related feature stories, do occasional roundups, watch what’s happening at Northern State University and dedicate resources to major events like, for instance, the upcoming State B boys basketball tournament.
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We’re still working out those details, but SD Sport Scene is your best bet for day-to-day sports coverage. Dave is another Aberdeen native, and he knows virtually everything about the local sports scene. We might even use some SD Sports Scene copy in our print editions.
What about South Dakota news?
We do not have a state reporter or a journalist in Pierre. But, we do have partnerships with other amazing news outlets, including The Dakota Scout, South Dakota News Watch and South Dakota Searchlight. They all cover issues of broad and statewide interest, and The Dakota Scout offers regular news from the Legislature in Pierre. We’re excited to be able to share their great work with you.
South Dakota Searchlight stories will be free on the Aberdeen Insider website.
The news business is changing, and having credible, reliable partners is critical to The Aberdeen Insider and the community. Our staff is talented but small, and we couldn’t be happier to have peers willing to help us with topics of significant importance and interest.
We will cover Aberdeen and the immediate area. That’s our focus as opposed to a large geographical swath, the entire state or even the entire county. We are dedicated to and excited about Aberdeen news.
When and why did The Aberdeen Insider start?
Our website went live on Jan. 25, and we have been working to fill it with valuable content since. But it is a process as we started from scratch with no archives to tap.
As for why we started the Insider, that’s simple. There had grown to be a dearth of local news coverage in Aberdeen. The idea of a publication like the Insider has been around for years, but it was time to make it a reality. We’ve heard the demand for more local news, and we have people you can trust to provide it.
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That’s why we’re here, plain and simple. We’re still learning some of the ins and outs of starting a news outlet from nothing. But we’re confident that if you stick with us as we learn, it will be well worth your while.
We’re also working to improve our social media game and to let people know about our presence and mission to provide vital community-centered coverage.
There will be challenges as we go, but we’re willing to meet them.
We aren’t the past, but we hope to be a part of your future.
Aberdeen news is back! And The Aberdeen Insider couldn’t be prouder to lead that charge.