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Beaver Island Historical Society Acquires the Northern Islander and Beaver Beacon

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:54 pm
by BI Historical Society
The Print Shop Museum Welcomes The Northern Islander Newspaper!

The Beaver Island Historical Society is pleased to announce the Northern Islander will once again be published from the Print Shop where it began 173 years ago in 1850! The Beaver Island Historical Society is in the process or purchasing the newspaper from former owner Cynthia Hector Johnson.
The Northern Islander was originally published by James Strang as a weekly paper. The subscription rate was $2 per year and advertising was $1 for twelve lines per square inch for 3 ads. The papers were sold locally, regionally and mailed to subscribers once a month.

Strang described the newspaper in 1850 as a gazette of the islands devoted to their interests, a vehicle of general news, literature, science and the arts written by Mormons, but not the official organ of the church but a paper of general reading. Strang ended his pitch with... this brief exposure of our intentions, we offer our Journal to those who think it worth the purchase. Oddly enough, some of those founding principles will apply today!

The new edition of the Northern Islander will be a 24-page paper printed on tabloid sheets devoted to the island community and the first BIHS Northern Islander edition will be published in April. Until then, the Historical Society wishes to thank our previous editor, Cynthia Hector Johnson, for her entertaining and informative journalism over the years.

The Beaver Beacon will be a high gloss collectible magazine published bi-annually, sold locally on the island and sold to mail subscribers and available online. The content will be focused on the unique history and arts of the Beaver Island Archipelago featuring photography and stories about lighthouses, maritime life, Native Americans, geology, geography, and island life. The first Beaver Beacon issue will likely be in available this fall.

The Beaver Island Historical Society has a mission to preserve and share the unique history of Beaver Island and the Archipelago. We will advance our mission by expanding our operations to present the local news of our community through storytelling and outreach. The new publication will be community- based and adhere to the best practices of community journalism–written by the community about the community.

Subscribers and advertisers will soon be notified of new management and to confirm the rates and publication dates for the Northern Islander will stay the same through 2023. We hope you enjoy the new version of the Northern Islander newspaper and will choose to remain or become a new customer.

Also, be on the lookout for a posting to hire our future editor! Please contact us at editor@beaverislandhistory.org or (231) 448-2254 for more information.

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Re: Beaver Island Historical Society Acquires the Northern Islander and Beaver Beacon

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 6:35 am
by Sailorman Larry
YEA!!!!! I look forward to it!

Re: Beaver Island Historical Society Acquires the Northern Islander and Beaver Beacon

Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2023 12:05 pm
by Fish Camp
Ditto that!

Re: Beaver Island Historical Society Acquires the Northern Islander and Beaver Beacon

Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2023 10:07 pm
by ohh-bi-mi
:D

Re: Beaver Island Historical Society Acquires the Northern Islander and Beaver Beacon

Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2023 12:26 pm
by Lois Sowa Stipp
Great news! Good, smart acquisition. Bravo

Re: Beaver Island Historical Society Acquires the Northern Islander and Beaver Beacon

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2023 12:32 am
by 06Kukri.Ghurka
Now that the Historical Society owns both publications how would one submit items for either paper?

Re: Beaver Island Historical Society Acquires the Northern Islander and Beaver Beacon

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2023 7:07 am
by jflanagan
Try the editor@beaverislandhistory.org listed in the announcement to get more information.
Jim

Re: Beaver Island Historical Society Acquires the Northern Islander and Beaver Beacon

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 11:43 am
by steveandelaineonbeaver
Hello Lori,

Somehow my wife Elaine's 17 year editorship of NorthernIslander has been lost to history. When Cynthia summarized the history Elaine was left out and the same is true with this forum chat room post. I was saddened. Elaine and Jacque Lafreniere published the first 21th century issue of NorthernIslander in Feb 2001? Elaine bought the Beaver Beacon name from Cindy Riskers later.

Of interest to me is that until the 21th century there was NO Beaver Island publications that properly segregated news & opinion. It became common practice in the mid 20th century as professional journalism education expanded. Sadly today the once great Dead Gray Lady and WaPo and others fail to keep opinion out of their news coverage. Oh well, I guess social media and forums are the “progressive” future but, perhaps not progress.

It’s great to learn that the publication’s history will be covered in the new Historical Society’s NorthernIslander. I'm looking forward to subscribing. :D

Best Wishes,
Steve