Monitor Recorder sold to Enterprise Media Group

RICEVILLE - The Enterprise Journal has purchased the Monitor Recorder (starting Jan. 1, 2022) and will be merging the two newspapers into one county-wide (and beyond), weekly newspaper, as well as providing a total market coverage shopper.  

The newspaper will continue to be called the Enterprise Journal and will only go to subscribers (around 2,000 circulation) and be sold throughout the area in newsstands. 

 

 

 

The new shopper, which will be delivered to every home that does not get the newspaper throughout Mitchell County, Elma and Grafton areas, will be called the EJ Connection. This means that every ad with the EJ will be seen by over 18,000 readers and go to over 7,000 homes.   

The EJ will continue to run offices in both Riceville and St. Ansgar.

The current Enterprise Journal will be completely reworked for a better look plus adding additional pages such as an editorial page, a business feature page, great sports coverage, a classified section and more. By joining together, the new EJ will be able to cover more Mitchell County news and events, while providing a platform for local businesses to market their products and services. 

All current subscriptions to the Monitor Recorder will be rolled over to the Enterprise Journal and honored. So if you have 11 months remaining in the Monitor Recorder, it will be added to the Enterprise Journal as a subscription at no additional cost. Subscribers to both newspapers will have however many months are left on their subscription added to their Enterprise Journal subscription.

Daniel Evans, publisher of the current Monitor Recorder, will remain with the Enterprise Journal in a limited role and will be used to help manage the new publication and the change-over. Evans stated that he’s “very excited” about the new publications coming to the area and appreciates Lindsey Falk for taking on the challenge in giving the area a newspaper/shopper that will cover the entire county (and beyond). He pointed out that he’s a little bitter-sweet about closing the Monitor Recorder, but is very grateful that Mr. Falk will be putting out an even better product that will continue to cover the Riceville, Stacyville, Elma and St. Ansgar areas.  

“I know the Enterprise Journal will continue to cover these areas and do it very well for the next two decades and beyond,” stated Evans about the transition. “At my age (59) I would have only kept the paper open another five to six years and hopefully, at that time, would have found a new owner. I now know that these areas will continue to be covered extremely well for many years and very much appreciate the Enterprise Journal owners for making the investment. I will continue to work with the EJ as will Casandra Leff as Managing Editor and Konnie Schmidt as an advertising representative. We’re looking forward to the first editions and will work with each and every business in giving you the best possible advertising coverage for the dollar, plus give our readers plenty of bang for the buck!”

Evans stated that he’s very thankful for the many years of support by area businesses in keeping the Monitor Recorder a strong weekly over the years.  

“We’ve had success because our businesses have been strong supporters of the newspaper over the 22 years of operation that Joyce, my wife, and I have been owners,” said Evans. “I’m also very grateful to our staff who have helped produce some excellent newspapers over the years. We’ve won over 180 awards through the Iowa Newspaper Association, including being one of the top 10 newspapers in all of Iowa one of those years. Just last week, we received notification that this newspaper has won 10 awards this year, including General Excellence. That shows we truly care about what is covered in the paper, and about our business districts. I do know, however, that the new owners will do more of the same and with it being someone local, that they will care about doing what’s best for many years to come. I know it’s not the end, but a new beginning of something bigger.”

The new weekly/shopper will be out on the newsstands on Tuesday afternoons and delivered through the post office on Wednesdays.  

All in all, we’re looking forward to putting out these new publications and working with area businesses and subscribers in giving them products they’ll truly be proud to advertise in. We thank you for your past support and are now looking forward to working with you in the future for many years to come!