We are of Columbia, by Columbia, and for Columbia
By Warner M.Montgomery Warner@TheColumbiaStar.com

In Sunday's edition of The State , Chief Blogger announced the obvious - they are losing money and cutting staff. A result will be fewer pages with fewer op- ed pieces and fewer letters to the editor. From now on, these popular editorial items will be shifted to their Website. As publisher of The Columbia Star , I would also like to make an announcement - we and other weekly newspapers are continuing to prosper, and we are not cutting staff. This is part of a national trend. Daily papers operated by the large media syndicates are losing circulation and advertising revenue. On the contrary, locally- owned weekly newspapers are booming. Circulation and advertising are increasing.

The State has priced itself out of the local market. Small businesses can no longer afford to pay their exorbitant rates. It has also continued to attempt to "make the news" rather than "report the news." This arrogance has strained its relationship with mainstream Columbians.

The Columbia St,ar on the other hand, has always been answerable to its readers…after all, we are of Columbia, by Columbia, and for Columbia. We will continue to publish op- ed pieces by local authorities and letters to the editor by local citizens. And we will continue to offer effective advertising at reasonable rates. That is what we have been doing for 45 years.