When we first started printing our weekly newspaper, The Fallon Post, on Nov. 6, 2020, we thought it would be fun to document our evolution in a weekly column.
As I sat down to jot down some thoughts, of course at the last minute before we went to print, the only thing that came to mind was the opening of Star Trek when I was a kid: "Captain's Log, Stardate 74268.2..."
That first week, I wrote about how we stumbled our way through learning design and layout, figuring out how to run the printer, getting the papers mailed and how grateful we were for the incredible support from our community as we worked to "Keep you Posted."
This week, as we officially add ownership of the Fernley Reporter to our growing family of publications, I find myself feeling that same gratitude all over again. We simply couldn't do this without the continued support of our readers, advertisers and subscribers, or without the remarkable team that shows up every week willing to do whatever it takes to keep local journalism alive.
For those of you who are new to Fallon Media Co., we've recently added the Lovelock Review Miner, Humboldt Sun, Battle Mountain Bugle and Nevada Rancher to our group, returning the former Great Basin Sun to individual community newspapers rather than one regional publication.
We're also in the process of bringing all of these publications, along with the nationally distributed quarterly RANGE magazine, under one parent organization: Range Media Company.
We're doing everything we can to strengthen our digital presence and keep pace with the many ways people consume news today. But we're sentimental enough to believe there's still something special about a printed newspaper, something that can't quite be replaced by a screen. Holding the paper with your morning coffee is a tradition worth preserving, even when it's not always the easiest path.
As we take the reins of the Fernley Reporter, we do so with tremendous appreciation for our friend Robert Perea, who launched the publication online in 2016 and kept it going through years of hard work. We also want to recognize Tony Erquiaga, who will continue building the publication's sports coverage. In November 2024, we partnered with Robert to bring the Reporter into print. Now that partnership has evolved into full ownership, and with it comes the responsibility of guiding the newspaper into its next chapter.
Beginning next week, all five of our community newspapers will be published under the Great Basin Sun postal permit, allowing us to take advantage of mailing efficiencies and continue publishing legal notices. Each newspaper will remain its own local edition, with community news leading the way while sharing a statewide Section B featuring stories from across Nevada.
Don't worry. Your local news isn't going anywhere. Each community will continue to have its own voice, and we genuinely want to hear what you think as these changes roll out.
Most importantly, we'd like to thank our advertisers and subscribers. They make this work possible. Local journalism exists because local businesses choose to advertise and local readers choose to subscribe. If you visit one of our advertisers, let them know you saw them in the paper. It truly does make a difference.
As we work through the growing pains of adding another newspaper while continuing to chase the stories that matter most, we'll keep doing what we've always done.
Keeping you Posted.
Or Reported.
Or Minered.
Or Bugled.
Or Sunned.
Whatever the paper, our mission remains the same.
Rach
Rachel Dahl is a sixth-generation Nevadan who owns Fallon Media Co. and publishes The Fernley Reporter, The Fallon Post, and now The Pershing Post, local community newspapers focused on providing “An Oasis in the Rural Nevada News Desert.” She also publishes an online, rural news site called the Silver State Chronicle. She raises chickens and English Angora rabbits, spinning their wool into yarn. In her spare time, she is learning to knit.
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