Monthly Paper Focuses on Positive News

A new newspaper in Louisville is dedicated to covering the positive side of local news, but its founders say they're not missing the real story.The Metro Messenger is a free monthly paper. Its first issue was published last month and is full of optimistic looks at merger, the Louisville Zoo and the bridges project. When asked if that means certain aspects of stories will be overlooked, editor-in-chief David Rose says he's only trying to fill the gaps left by other media…for instance, he says coverage of Jefferson County Public Schools is too pessimistic."Stop and think. Number one, they're the largest school system in the state of Kentucky," he says. "They have a lot of great things to offer as well. And to bring some of those things to light. To let people know, hey, they have some issues going on they're trying to deal with, they also have some great things going on to make differences in their students' lives."Ten thousand copies of the first issue were printed, and Rose is planning to print 50,000 copies of the second. All of the printing costs have been paid by advertisers, and Rose and his business partner are bankrolling additional costs, such as payments to the Messenger's seven staff members."A lot of people say print advertising is really not what it used to be. I don't feel that it is. Newspaper print isn't what it used to be. What we've seen is the content of the print is what the issue is," he says.Aside from the mainstream and alternative newspapers, there are several online-only news operations in Louisville producing original journalism.