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Haserot Beach, Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
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.
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? Tim and Jane (Johnson) Boursaw, lifelong residents of the Old Mission Peninsula whose families go back six generations on the OMP into the 1800s. Jane spent 35 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 Tim and 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 two or three times a week. Subscribe to the newsletter here:
Do you accept advertisers? Yes, we have several ad packages available for every budget and scope. Learn more on our advertising page, which includes all of our statistics and info, as well as ad package details.
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 and story ideas to Jane at [email protected]. We're always looking for reviews of books, movies, TV shows, and local restaurants, as well. 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 our sister site, OldMissionPhotos.com to buy photos in a variety of formats, including digital downloads, prints, metal, canvas and more.
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, Instagram and Twitter accounts. Please follow them, especially our Facebook page, where we post breaking news and info.
How do you make money off of Old Mission Gazette? Through our trusted Gazette advertisers, through our OMP Holiday Gift Guide (October – December), through the sale of items in our online store, OMPstore.com, and through the sale of photos at OldMissionPhotos.com. Please patronize our advertisers and gift guide participants, and let them know you saw their ad in the Gazette. And please consider buying cool OMP stuff and photos year-round. It all helps to support both 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.
Do you have "day jobs"? No. Old Mission Gazette, OMPstore.com, and OldMissionPhotos.com 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 currently don't have access to. We would likely need to apply for grants in order to produce a print newspaper. 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? We always have vinyl stickers in small, medium and large available today, as well as an assortment of t-shirts, hats, greeting cards, coffee mugs, photo prints and matted photos. Email Jane, [email protected], if you need something immediately.
What are Old Mission Gazette's current statistics? Average monthly pageviews for the website run around 3 million, and readers stay on the site an average of 40 minutes. We currently have 14,000+ email newsletter subscribers, and our weekly newsletter averages 87 percent opens and 83 percent click-thoughs to the website. Our Facebook page has a daily reach of 24,000; our Instagram account averages 18,000 views daily; and our Twitter account averages 22,000 views daily.
Other questions? Email Jane at [email protected].