If you have a passion for writing, journalistic integrity, good business acumen, and are undaunted by the thought of pursuing the noble profession of newspaper publisher in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, this essay contest is for you.
The grand - and only - prize: The Hardwick Gazette, a weekly newspaper that has been published in Hardwick for 127 years.
The entry fee is $175. Contestants are asked to write an essay of 400 words or less about their skills and vision for owning a newspaper in the new millennium. Contest rules and information are available at HardwickGazette.com.
According to a news release, The Hardwick Gazette “has long been a newspaper of record in the Northeast Kingdom.” First published in 1889, it was bought in 1986 by Ross Connelly and his late wife, Susan Jarzyna.
Ready for retirement, Connelly hopes to ensure the newspaper lives on by holding this contest to find a new owner.
“We want to hear from people who can hold up a mirror in which local citizens can see themselves and gain some insights into the lives within their communities,” Connelly said in the news release.
“We want to hear from people with a passion for local stories in the absence of scandal and sensationalism that tops the fold of mainstream newspapers. We want to hear from people who recognize that social media is not the same as a local newspaper. People who realize we're a business that employs local people, that keeps the money we earn in the communities we cover, that is here week after week because the people that live here are important.”
Under Connelly's leadership, The Hardwick Gazette has won numerous awards as a “respected and vital source of news, occurrences, and opinion for the people of Hardwick and nine surrounding towns,” according to the news release.
The contest winner will assume ownership of The Hardwick Gazette, the historic Main Street building where the newspaper has been published for more than 100 years, and equipment and proprietary materials necessary to operate the business. A printing press isn't included. The paper is printed offsite by a regional press not owned by the newspaper.
The contest will run through Thursday, Aug. 11, or until the maximum number of 1,889 entries have been received.