Q & A on the Journal

I sometimes get questions about the LeFlore County Journal and would like to answer a few of them.


The most asked question is how and why I started the Journal. As some of you know, I once worked at a newspaper and was a journalism major in college.

During the mid 2000s, I started a website called heaveneronline. It was a big hit and I kept it up for a couple of years before I took a job which prevented me from running the website.

I missed it. So I still wanted to do something along the lines of heaveneronline, but make it bigger. After talking it over with some friends, I decided to do something for LeFlore County. At the time, I was considering doing one for the county, or one just for Poteau. I actually listened to the suggestions and I think that was the best decision.

Even before I started the original heaveneronline, I realized there was a better way to get news, sports and information out instead of the traditional newspaper. At best, you are looking at getting the information the next day, but only if you purchase a paper. Typically, the information would not be available online until two days later.

That is why I am such a big proponent of publishing news and information on a website. I can get the information out there quicker and that is one reason why the Journal has grown.

Second question is if the Journal is profitable. I do have some dedicated advertisers and a few supporters who donate to the Journal, but I also work a full-time job and can’t dedicate the time selling ads for the Journal as I would like. So I do make a little more income than I spend, if you don’t consider the two hours or so I spend on the Journal most days.

Third question is about the people who write a column frequently and if I pay them. Unfortunately, no, I can’t pay them. I wish I could. The Journal is fortunate to have some really good writers. We also have some readers who send in information frequently and that is also greatly appreciated.

Traci Barnes has been sending in columns for the longest. Don Barnes has been a frequent contributor while John Inman and Bobbi McAullife have sent in columns for the last few months. Happy Frazier has sent in some columns and David Deaton with the LCBGC has contributed his weekly column over the last few weeks.

I can’t thank them enough.

I haven’t been asked this question but wanted to tell what my biggest mistake was with the Journal. That was with the Journal ezine. It was a weekly publication I put out with all the latest stories and photographs. It looked like a weekly newspaper, except full color and not as big.Just when it started to take off, I started my job and there wasn’t enough time to do everything.

But with the ezine, I did it the wrong way. I had people subscribe to get the information. Instead, I should have made it available for free and tried to bring in income from advertising.

Hopefully, I will be able to resurrect the ezine in that manner. The thing I always liked the best about it was people could print off a certain page and keep the publication to show others.

Now, I just need to figure out how to start this up again.

I have also been working on a new project, which I hope will be a big hit, especially for the sports fans. Look for more information in the next few days.

The Journal has come a long way since its debut on Sept. 19, 2009. I started spreading the news about the Journal to a few people, who shared it with others, who did the same thing. Even in the slow times, the Journal gets several hundred hits a day.

As always, if you have any suggestions on making the Journal better, please send an email to craig@leflorecountyjournal.com or leave a comment below.