Editor’s Scratchpad
Tuesday, April 3, 2001
Mike Sellett, fascinated by Honolulu's newspaper war while he and his family vacation in the islands, scoffs at the notion that Honolulu cannot support two daily papers.
Sellett is the publisher of the weekly Jackson Hole News and has been engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the Jackson Hole Guide for nearly 30 years in the foothills of Wyoming's Teton Range. The News has maintained a lead over the years and is now ahead in circulation, 7,500 to the Guide's 4,800. "The key is quality," Sellett explains. "I think two quality newspapers will survive in just about any market."
Lest you question the quality emanating from the newspaper war in Teton County (population 18,000), the National Newspaper Association last year presented its top award for general excellence among non-daily newspapers with circulations of 6,000 to 10,000 to the Jackson Hole News. The same top award for non-dailies with circulations of 3,000 to 6,000 went to the Jackson Hole Guide.
--Lee Catterall Richard Halloran is Editorial section editor.
He can be reached by e-mail at rhalloran@starbulletin.com