Here’s a round-up of frequently asked questions about Old Mission Gazette. If you have other questions not answered here, feel free to email the editor, Jane Boursaw, at [email protected].
What is Old Mission Gazette? A digital newspaper covering the Old Mission Peninsula (OMP), an 18-mile strip of land stretching into Lake Michigan north of Traverse City, Michigan.
Old Mission Gazette is Reader Supported.
Click Here to Keep the Gazette Going.
What sorts of things do you cover? Any and everything related to the Old Mission Peninsula, including news, developments, events, photos, people profiles, history, meetings (Peninsula Township, Peninsula Community Library, Old Mission Peninsula School, OMP Historical Society, etc.) and more.
Do you have subscription or membership fees? No, unlike many news organizations, we made a choice to keep all of our independent reporting free and available to everyone. We rely on generous reader support to help keep the Gazette humming along, and also keep our advertiser base small. Every contribution, big or small, is valuable. Click here to support Old Mission Gazette. Thank you!
Who runs Old Mission Gazette? Jane (Johnson) Boursaw, a lifelong resident of the Old Mission Peninsula whose family goes back seven generations on the OMP into the 1800s. Jane spent 45 years as a photojournalist, movie critic, web designer and social media guru for such publications as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Times of London, People Magazine, Ladies’ Home Journal and many others. Learn more about Jane on our About Page, and read Jane’s column, “Jane’s World,” here.
Do you have an email list, and how do I subscribe? Yes. While we post new stories on Old Mission Gazette every day, we also send out an email newsletter every week. Subscribe to the newsletter here:
Do you accept advertisers? Yes, we keep our advertiser base small to better focus on each advertiser and provide a positive reader experience. If we do not have a spot open, we’re happy to put you on a waiting list. Learn more here or email [email protected].
Can I contribute photos or articles to Old Mission Gazette? Yes. Feel free to email hi-res photos (at least 1500px), news tips, events, historical news and photos, editorials, recipes and story ideas to Jane at [email protected]. If you have an idea for an ongoing column, email Jane about that, too.
Do you sell Old Mission Peninsula items? Yes. Our online store, Old Mission Peninsula Store, carries a variety of unique OMP items that we’ve designed, including t-shirts, hats, coffee mugs, greeting cards, vinyl car stickers and more. Check it out at OMPstore.com.
Are the photos posted on Old Mission Gazette for sale? Many of them are. Visit the photo section of the store to see what’s available.
How do I contact you? For advertising or editorial questions, email Jane at [email protected].
Do you have any social media channels? Yes. We post regularly on our Facebook and Instagram accounts. Please follow them, especially our Facebook page, where we post breaking news and info.
How do you make money from Old Mission Gazette? Through our trusted Gazette donors (donate here), through our advertisers, and through the sale of items in our online store, OMPstore.com. Please consider donating to keep the Gazette going, and also patronize our advertisers and let them know you saw their ad in the Gazette. Also consider buying OMP items from the store. It all helps to support the Gazette and a small family business devoted to the OMP.
I’m not really interested in advertising or buying anything. Is there a way I can still support the Gazette? Yes, we have a donations page set up here. We rely on generous reader support to help keep the Gazette humming along, and we gratefully accept and acknowledge any donations towards our goal of sustaining a community newspaper. Keep local journalism alive.
Do you have “day jobs”? No. Old Mission Gazette and the OMP Store ARE our day jobs.
Will you ever have a print newspaper, in addition to being online? Maybe. We’re a small business, and print publications require another level of funding. We would likely need to apply for grants in order to produce a print newspaper, and grants are mainly given to nonprofit organizations (Old Mission Gazette is currently a for-profit business). But it’s always a possibility.
Do I have to order store items online, or do you have anything available if I need it, say, today? All of our items are printed and shipped from a third-party distributor, so you will need to order through the store. Also, we do not accept returns or issue re-orders unless an item is damaged, so be sure you’ve noted the correct color, size and mailing address when you place the order.
What are Old Mission Gazette’s current statistics? Average daily pageviews for the website run around 85,000, and readers stay on the site an average of 40 minutes. We currently have about 24,000 email newsletter subscribers, and our weekly newsletter averages 97 percent opens and 93 percent click-thoughs to the website. Our Facebook page has a daily reach of 54,000, and our Instagram account averages 34,000 views daily.
Other questions? Email Jane at [email protected].
