Urban blight has turned up in an unlikely place this summer – in the pages of High Country News, the spunky chronicler of Western environmental, political and cultural issues.
Published in Paonia since 1973, the biweekly newspaper has focused almost solely on rural issues since its founding in 1970. Though topics such as water policy, public land management, agriculture and recreation probably will continue to dominate the newspaper’s pages, its editors have come to believe that a broader look at the West will give its 24,000 readers a deeper understanding of the region.
So one recent issue featured an article about Polynesian street gangs in Salt Lake City. An upcoming story will include a look at growth and urban planning in the Denver metro area, said Paul Larmer, executive director of the nonprofit newspaper.
Oh, and all of this now is presented in full color, with the addition of color photographs last month.
The changes were brought about to lure younger people to a readership that is dominated by the “50-something” set, Larmer said.
“We’re just trying to stay relevant,” he said. “We tend to have an aging readership.”
To that end, High Country News editors have updated their website – www.hcn.org – and are encouraging educators to incorporate their stories into lesson plans.
Founded in Lander, Wyo., High Country News moved to Paonia after physicist Ed Marston and his wife, Betsy, took over.
Ed Marston retired as editor in 2002 to pursue other interests, which include a redevelopment project in the tiny Western Slope town of Paonia, opportunities to speak on Western issues and his work on the board of the local electric cooperative.
Betsy Marston has stayed on, overseeing Writers on the Range, a syndication service that provides regional columns to more than 60 newspapers, including The Denver Post.
High Country News readers have not yet weighed in on the appearance in August of full-color photographs, but they can be expected to, Betsy Marston said.
“I think there are a few who are aghast, but we haven’t heard that much,” she said. “It’s still early to see if people are going to scream.”
The color pictures allow the magazine to feature the Western landscape in a new way, she said.
“I think it’s a present to the current subscribers, and it may attract people who might be put off by stories that are heavy on information.”
Patricia Limerick, a University of Colorado at Boulder professor who specializes in the history of the American West, is a regular reader.
She said the paper’s broader scope is a plus. Many Western thinkers – herself included, for a time, she said – have failed to recognize the impact cities have had across the region.
“The more respect and attention we pay to the well-being of cities, the better for the rural places,” she said.
Staff writer Jim Hughes can be reached at jhughes@denverpost.com or 303-820-1244.
