Readership grows

Readership grows under nationally recognized newsroom leader

It’s not the kind of headline most Americans are used to reading given the challenges facing today’s newspaper industry.

Yet at a time when local newspapers are reducing publication days or moving towards online only distribution, The Villages Daily Sun tells a different story under the leadership of alumnus Adam Rogers, 2010, BA, Telecommunication Studies.

Rogers serves as managing editor for the daily newspaper based out of The Villages, Fla., a booming retirement community of more than 130,000 located about 50 miles north of Orlando.

“We care about the people in the neighborhoods, and we have doubled down on print and community journalism,” said Rogers, adding that the paper is building a new printing press to keep up with the increasing circulation – now more than 60,000 homes during peak season when the snowbirds flock to Florida for the winter.

It’s the unique nature of The Villages’ population that gives the newspaper a competitive advantage.

“Most people who live here are from somewhere else, so we can localize any national story rather quickly,” Rogers said.

And the YSU graduate is being lauded for his efforts. Editor and Publisher recently named him one of 25 under 35 newsroom leaders in the country, and the Society for News Design named the paper one of the top ten best designed in the world. Hallmarks of a typical The Villages Daily Sun page layout include a vibrant color palette and more illustration.

“We have a little bit more fun with the news,” added Rogers. “We are not afraid to go big and take a whole page for a single story.”

The Florida newspaper was Rogers’ first stop after graduating YSU, starting out as a page designer in sports then in news. He progressed from designing the front of the paper to senior designer, then associate managing editor and now his current role of managing editor, which he began earlier this year.

Rogers credits his experience with YSU’s student newspaper, The Jambar, with opening doors to him at The Villages Daily Sun.

“The Jambar was 100 percent of my experience, but my clips were enough to sell me as a page designer even for a professional position,” said Rogers.

Rogers’ success comes as the newspaper industry faces significant economic woes. Earlier this summer, The Vindicator closed operations after 150 years in Youngstown. He’s hopeful, however, that local news will make a comeback.

“I think like vinyl records, print will come back a little stronger. Organizations just need to figure out what works,” he said.