Guest Speakers: Provincetown Independent Editor, Ed Miller and Publisher, Teresa Parker
Against the Odds – Starting a Local Newspaper on Cape Cod.
Thoughts from the founders of the Provincetown Independent

Click here to see a recording of the forum

Since 2005 the United States has lost a quarter of its newspapers.  Many of the survivors are characterized as ‘zombie papers’ as news staff have been laid off and local content has shrunk.  Some areas are news deserts where there are no papers at all.  The drivers of this decline are many and the consequences are complicated – but troubling – for a healthy democracy.  In the face of these realities, the notion of a start-up paper on the outer edge of Cape Cod might not seem like a good idea.

Ed Miller and Teresa Parker thought differently.  They are both strong believers in the practice of professional journalism at the local level which is a cornerstone of democracy.  They thoughtfully and carefully embraced the risk and established The Provincetown Independent in 2019.  They are still in business.

Ed is the Editor of the paper and Teresa is the Publisher.  In 2022 the paper was recognized by the New England Newspaper and Press Association as ‘The Newspaper of the Year’ of those with circulations over 5,000.  What gives?

Ed and Teresa shared their story and their views on the news landscape at our Annual Meeting.  Both have impressive resumes with lots of experience in business and the media.  Ed established two weekly newspapers before the Independent, one magazine and a book publishing company.  He taught writing at Sarah Lawrence and Harvard, served as an associate editor of the Provincetown Banner for 4 years  and has written five books.  Teresa was a senior manager at the Ernst and Young Center for Business Innovation, ran her own travel business and helped several start up local organizations, including the incubator that became the Wellfleet OysterFest.

Watch the video for a stimulating tour d’horizon of today’s news world.

Prior to Ed and Teresa’s presentation, we held a brief business meeting and election of 2023-2024 Board Members and Officers. The following documents were voted on at the business meeting: By-Laws;   Conflict-of-interest-policy

The Orleans Citizens Forum is an unbiased, public service organization dedicated to keeping
the residents of Orleans knowledgeable about the issues confronting our town