A note from The Sound’s publisher, Matt Kanner
If you look at the upper right corner of the front cover of this week’s paper, you’ll notice the following: “Issue 1, Volume II.” The Sound has completed one full year of operation as the Seacoast’s only local, independent, weekly newspaper. This issue marks the first installment of year two.
We’re proud of the work our small but dedicated staff has performed since we put out our very first issue on Dec. 3, 2014. And we’re thankful for the loyal and enthusiastic readership we have developed in that time. We believe The Sound has established itself as the Seacoast’s premier source for local arts coverage, while also reporting on important regional issues such as housing and development, the heroin epidemic, and local elections.
We’ve accomplished quite a bit over the last year, and we’ve been rewarded with readers who genuinely care about this publication. As a newspaper publisher, you can’t ask for much more than that. Our promise for the year ahead is that we will build on what we’ve started and continue to improve The Sound. Our goal is never to be stagnant, but to keep surprising our readers with unique and meaningful content that engages them intellectually and visually. We think we can make the paper even better — more exciting, more relevant, and more prominent in the local news landscape. And we intend to make that happen.
If you support what we’re doing at The Sound, there are a few ways you can help out during our second year:
• Come celebrate at our one-year anniversary party, taking place Sunday, Dec. 13, at Birdseye Lounge in downtown Portsmouth. The evening will include “Wintersong,” the second installment of our In Season concert series, featuring six local acts performing songs with a winter theme. A pre-party marking our anniversary begins at 6 p.m., with the concert starting at 7:30. The pre-party is free; for tickets to Wintersong, visit birdseyelounge.com.
• Join the Sound Society. Or, if you’re already a member, spread the word! The Sound Society is a membership club that gives readers a chance to support our free, independent newspaper. For $10 per month, members get a weekly e-newsletter previewing that week’s newspaper, plus community survey questions, ticket giveaways, and other perks. Members also get discounts on tickets to various events — including Wintersong. To sign up, go to soundnh.com/sound-society.
• Tell people about The Sound. After just a year in operation, many people are still learning about our publication. The more readers The Sound has, the stronger and more prevalent it will become. The newspaper is available for free at more than 400 locations across the greater Seacoast, and we’re online at soundnh.com. Give a call or send an email to find out where it’s available near you.
Thank you for making our first year such a memorable one. It’s hard work putting out a weekly publication, but we can’t imagine a more gratifying job, and we’re thrilled to have our loyal readers sharing the journey.
On to year two.
Matt Kanner
matt@soundnh.com