By Thomas Warren III, Editor-in-Chief
Back in 2016, a wild idea was floated about an alternative media source changing the media landscape in Amarillo. I remember the conversations quite vividly.
Would it work? Could it work? Would people even care?
Well, five years later, I’m here to tell you that this wild idea is now a reality and is much more than anyone ever expected.
Saturday will mark five years of existence for the Amarillo Pioneer and our new media operation. What started as a PDF sheet published twice a month to an audience of 30 people has now grown into a booming little media operation with tens of thousands of daily readers and a reputation as the leading public policy publication in the Texas Panhandle.
Since the start of the Pioneer, we have become much more than a free website where people pick up a story or two every couple of weeks. Today, we regularly publish an award-winning podcast, bring our readers up-to-date coverage of local and statewide government, and continue to set the standard for what independent community-centered journalism should look like in Amarillo.
Of course, there have been detractors. There have been conspiracy theories here or there. There have been those who have made fun of our operation for its cost-effective operations. And there have been people since day one that have wanted to see this operation fail. But, our staff and our readers wouldn’t let that happen.
Five years later, I still think about the conversations I had with media insiders in Amarillo about this idea and the response that I got time and time again. I was regularly told that this kind of operation could never work in Amarillo and that people were not ready to embrace new media in our city.
I am so thankful they were wrong.
I would love to take credit alone for all of our successes over the past five years, but that would be unfair to those who have contributed so much to make our publication into what it is today. Those like Noah Dawson and Trent Rosser have provided great content for our readers, while those such as Len Walker have helped the operation behind the scenes.
So, as we reach the five year marker this weekend, I want to thank every person who has clicked on one of our links, shared our stories, and sent in words of encouragement to both myself and our staff members. We have succeeded over the past five years because of people like you, and I am convinced that we will continue to succeed and thrive for the next five years because of you.
Words could never express my gratitude for your support over these past five years, and I am happy to tell you that we will keep producing the content you want over the next five years.
So, Amarillo, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Your support means the world. And, let me promise you this, the Amarillo Pioneer is going to keep working for you for a long time to come.
With that, I say, “on to the next five years!”