Opinion: Thank you.

By Michael Glenn

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Around two years ago from today, I was starting a new job at Atwoods Ranch & Home Goods for the summer, going into my junior year of high school. 

I didn’t know what to expect. I was leaving my previous job that I was working at since I was 14 and was working close to 40 hours a week some weeks. 

At the same time, I was attending philosophy book club meetings at Crow & Co. Books. I met Gina Long there, a research librarian, who sounded like she knew a lot about everything. We were both curious about anything and everything, always striving to know more and answer questions we couldn’t quite solve yet. 

Through those next few weeks, I began looking at research material for the upcoming debate season. At the time, I had planned on doing it junior year and wanted to be prepared to hit the ground running come August. 

That was until I came up with an idea to propose to Gina. 

“Let’s start a newspaper!”

I’m not sure I said it like that. But those were the words of a writer for the “Editor & Publisher” Magazine who featured The Hutchinson Tribune, a paper born out of curiosity and wanting to fill a void that our hometown’s once great publication filled for over a century. 

We initially agreed with almost no idea of how to begin writing or publishing content. Gina recommended calling another local newspaper publisher in Kansas, one from Hutchinson. He ran a newspaper in Newton and had some success in Harvey County. So I picked up the latest edition of “Harvey County Now” and called its publisher, Joey Young. 

He didn’t pick up. I did my best as a 16-year-old to leave the best voice message I could to someone I didn’t know. 

“Hi, uh…. Joey. This is Michael Glenn. I’m a high school student in Hutchinson and saw your newspaper, the ‘Harvey County Now,’ and wanted to talk to you about it. How is your newspaper in a community half the size of Hutch so much better than ours?”

He called me back a little later and said he’d be happy to meet with me. Later, he said that he doesn’t receive many calls from teenagers wanting to talk about newspapers, so he and his managing editor, Adam Strunk, drove 30 minutes to meet me at Scuttlebutts. 

Now I won’t tell the whole story again. After meeting with them, Gina and I formally agreed and began The Hutchinson Tribune on Substack, our first publishing platform. We grew and grew, adding contractors, advertising and an employee through our career with the Tribune.

I recall this moment because this is the last column you’ll see me write as an owner and publisher of The Hutchinson Tribune. 

It’s bittersweet in a way. Bitter in the sense that I’m selling the company, but sweet in every other way, including for you, readers. 

Regardless of our growth, Gina and I have had certain inherent barriers. For example, when I’m at school and Gina’s working full time, who can cover the Reno County Commission meeting at 9 a.m. on a Wednesday? Who can make sales calls and meet during any business time? 

While we’ve managed, new ownership with more resources and time will make The Hutchinson Tribune a serious and solid news media source for Hutch and all of Reno County. 

I’ve had countless new opportunities and options open up because of my work in Hutch. I’ve been able to meet other news executives and publishers across the state and country, be featured on national media and attend college for free the next four years. Furthermore, I’ve been able to work for myself, something I’ve always wanted to do. 

This is all due to everyone who decides to open their phone or computer, go to our website, and read a story. 

Sometimes, the “big, bad media” can take over our minds as a group of people who sit in a dark boardroom and think of what person they want to “take down.” In reality, we journalists are just like everyone else, sharing stories from Hutchinson, about Hutchinson. 

Every time I interview a person, write a story or even talk to someone in the street about The Hutchinson Tribune, I am thankful for the person who took time out of their day to talk to me. 

Without you reading our content, we would cease to exist. It’s as simple as that. Your readership and engagement are what keep this publication alive. 

Thank you.

I have full confidence that Joey and Lindsey Young, along with the new publisher, Jackson Swearer, will continue to provide solid news and increase the ability and quality of the content we produce. 

You’ll still see me very active in the paper this summer, working as the paper’s managing editor under the new ownership until I head off to the University of Kansas in August.

Thank you for making this crazy idea between a 16-year-old high schooler and a research librarian a reality. Together, we have created a community that is informed of its area through storytelling and investigative work. Together, we have helped hold our government accountable, celebrated our city’s achievements, investigated our shortcomings and informed our community. 

But don’t think this ownership change is a step in the wrong direction. The opposite is true. In the words of Joey, 

“You will have a damn good newspaper in Hutchinson.”

Love ya, Hutch.