The Downey Patriot

Eric Pierce, Editor of the Patriot, gave us some behind-the-page insights into Downey’s home town newspaper.  The publisher, Jennifer DeKay, also a member of our club, accompanied Eric and they answered questions after the presentation.

Some of us can remember when Downey had a five-days-a-week newspaper, the Southeast News. Eventually that became the Eagle, a weekly with John Adams as the editor.  Later Adams took over the publishing chores as well, and renamed the paper The Downey Patriot.

Much of the Patriot’s success comes from its being a real Downey-produced paper.  Seven of the eight employees on the staff are Downeyites.

Many press releases that other papers charge to display, are run by the Patriot free of charge: birth announcements, engagements, graduations, reunions and anniversaries.  Military graduations are recounted at no charge and funeral notices and obituaries are always complementary.

“The Patriot does not endorse candidates,” said Eric.  “We don’t run for public office. We inform.”

What makes the new Patriot different from the Eagle?  More color, more photographs and more features.  How does the Patriot survive?  Income comes from advertisers and from legal notices.  Subscriptions, which include home delivery, are a help.  Since the paper is free, Jennifer DeKay added that the Patriot looks on subscriptions as a friendly form of support for the paper,

How many Letters to the Editor get published?  Of those that are suitable for printing in a family newspaper, about 70% are printed.  No unsigned letters are ever used.

We’re a hometown paper, Eric stressed.  We’re not some spin-off that comes into town and rents an office and prints canned news from the wire services. We care about the content of the Patriot, and we care about Downey.