Shawangunk Journal

Ellenville, New York, USA

Overview

Shawangunk Journal is an independent weekly newspaper covering the towns along the Shawangunk Ridge in the Hudson River Valley of New York state. It publishes in print and online, and is considered the paper of record for Ulster County. The paper is family-owned and operated by co-founders Alex Shiffer and Sharon Richman.

Founding and Origins

Shiffer and Richman founded Zelacom Electronic Publishing in 1994, in Liberty, New York, to provide web design, hosting, and internet access in the Sullivan County and southern Ulster region. The couple moved to Napanoch in 1999 and relocated their business to Ellenville in 2004. In 2006 they revived the Ellenville Journal, a paper that had run from 1849 to 1989, publishing it as both a website and a newspaper. On November 6, 2008, the paper was renamed Shawangunk Journal to better reflect its expanded regional coverage.

Coverage and Editorial Character

The paper's hybrid subscription and micropayment model, built on its NewsAtomic publishing platform, drew national attention: it was profiled by The Economist in 2018 and by James Fallows in The Atlantic in 2019 as an example of a new approach to sustaining local journalism. NewsAtomic also hosts The Devil's Advocate, a student-run news app for Ellenville High School, and a sister publication, the Kingston Wire, which focuses on crime and police coverage in Kingston, New York.

Funding and Ownership

Shawangunk Journal is a for-profit enterprise owned by Electric Valley Media. Revenue comes from subscriptions and micropayments through NewsAtomic, advertising, and legal-notice fees tied to its status as a paper of record, supplemented by a small-donor fundraiser held each year.

Key Personnel

Publisher: Alex Shiffer
Production Editor: Sharon Richman
Managing Editor: John D'Amico
Reporter: Chris Rowley
Editorial Assistant: Robyn Hager
Writers: Jasmine Shiffer, Fiona Corcoran

Audience

Shawangunk Journal serves readers across southern Ulster, northern Orange, and eastern Sullivan counties, New York, including the towns of Crawford, Mamakating, Marbletown, Rochester, Rosendale, Shawangunk, and Wawarsing. Combined print and digital readership is reported at roughly 20,000, with the print edition distributed at more than 75 retail locations. As the designated legal paper of record for Ulster County, the Village of Ellenville, several towns, SUNY Ulster, and the Ellenville, Rondout, and Pine Bush school districts, it also carries public notices and legal advertising.

Access and Contact

Address: 1 Market Street / P.O. Box 669, Ellenville, NY 12428
Phone: (845) 647-9190  |  Email: info@gunkjournal.com

Website: shawangunkjournal.com