A good paper can make a difference

At The Recorder, we believe that a good local newspaper can make a difference. A good paper can inform and connect neighbors. It can spotlight the successes and challenges we face in making our communities better for everyone. It can fight misinformation through fact-based, responsible reporting. It can make municipal government more transparent and hold elected officials accountable to their constituents. 

A good paper can also provide a forum for people to make their voices heard — and a place where we actually listen to each other and come together around common goals and concerns. 

This vision inspired a group of volunteers to launch The Recorder as an independent, nonpartisan community news organization in 2024. It also excited donors. The Recorder was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, enabling tax-deductible contributions. 

With launch funds in place, The Recorder began publishing a weekly newspaper in September 2024 to complement our digital news site. We assembled a talented team of experienced editors, journalists, designers and photographers. In March, we expanded our service area to include Mount Kisco, in addition to the towns of Bedford, Lewisboro and Pound Ridge. The paper now has over 2,000 subscribers. Individual copies of The Recorder are also available for sale at 30 retail outlets in the area, including pharmacies and supermarkets. 

Published 50 times a year, our print edition continues to grow with original news reporting on key community issues, in-depth special series like the one launching today on hunger action in Westchester, coverage of local elections, police, schools, the arts, business and many other topics. 

With a year of publishing experience under our belts, we also know what it costs to produce high-quality print journalism. In our case, that’s about $600,000 a year, or $50,000 per month. We keep a tight eye on our expenses and budgets, but even so, we must bear significant costs for printing, postal delivery, editors, staff writers and freelancers, design, administration, technology, insurance and other items. 

To pay for these expenses, The Recorder has three principal sources of revenue: subscriptions, advertising, and donations. Each accounts for roughly one-third of our income. 

That’s why it’s so important, if you haven’t done so already, to become a paid subscriber — or to renew as a current subscriber. 

It all comes down to community support. Simply put, your dollars make The Recorder possible. At our usual subscription price of $85 per year, that works out to just $1.70 per weekly issue, less than the price of a cup of coffee. It’s even less per week with our anniversary subscription offer of $75 for 50 issues.

We know that a good paper can have a meaningful impact. We also realize subscribers want value. We think our paper delivers not just on its vision, but provides good value, too.

To those who are reading The Recorder for the first time with this first of three complimentary issues, it’s your opinion that matters. We hope you’ll agree.