When you’re a newspaper editor, you get a lot of email, notes and phone calls. I’ve worked at some of the biggest newspapers in the nation and never received as much as here in Spokane. It’s actually one of the coolest parts of working here – people care. And they’re chatty. Those are features, not flaws.

But nothing prepared me for the hundreds and hundreds of emails and messages that have pored in over the past two months. And even though I’m no longer working in our actual newsroom downtown, the mail received there gets scanned in each day and emailed to me. These are full-fledged letters.

I’ve tried to respond to all of them, which is tough when you get close to 400 emails a day. Then I realized these notes should be shared with our staff so they all could see how much their work means to our community. When most companies want to thank their co-workers, they often take out a full-page ad in our newspaper.

We’ve all seen those ads over the last month. And all of those full-page ads made many of us smile. Gratitude feels good. When you work at a newspaper, it’s what you should do, as well. You just don’t tell your boss you’re going to do it until after it’s printed.

So, here is my letter of thanks to our newsroom. Only it’s not a letter from me. It’s a whole bunch of letters from you. Which makes them even better. Thank you to everyone at The Spokesman-Review who has worked so hard, even putting their own safety at risk, in order to keep our community informed. And thank you to all of those of you who wrote me and then gave me permission to share your words.

I’m truly grateful to you all.

Great article yesterday on the importance of having local ownership of the paper. I appreciate and agree with your comments and look forward to continuing my ‘adjusted’ subscription. Please keep the fine work coming and please let staff and ownership know how much they are appreciated.

Thank you,

Ed Franklin

Love goes out to all your outstanding journalists. Wise choices you are making, great coverage and so very positive.

Peace and health be to you all.

Mary Naber

Thanks for your column and Jim Camden’s story about the state of the newspaper industry. As a former journalist (including covering North Idaho education and environment under Doug Clark for The Spokesman-Review), I’m concerned, too.

I’ve always been a subscriber to a delivered paper edition, but with warnings about coronavirus, my husband prefers to now read the newspaper online. We’re continuing our paper subscription to support The Spokesman-Review, but I recently also started paying for access to the full e-edition and was surprised to find the fee so low. I know that increasing e-edition subscription rates won’t replace ad income, but perhaps it could help.

I appreciate all that this newspaper is doing to keep our local journalists working to bring us local news.

Madonna Luers

Big shout out to you, your staff, and the newspaper’s ownership to be a part of the great American Dream of a free press. What a great pleasure to have a physical newspaper in hand and to be rocketed into the future of cyber connections. From stories of local happenings, to your newspaper’s book club from “the ole castle” on Riverside, economy, sports nationally, locally, internationally; we have it all and more. Stay creative and innovative in your pursuit of quality community connection switch board of Spokane’s heartbeat. Stay free, courageous, and keep the funnies.

Ciao

Roger Zarowny

I want to add my thanks for a great newspaper and being very OK to save jobs by cutting back on a publishing day. I love reading my newspaper each morning, but will gladly give up a day so journalists can continue to work.

Stay well. Stay safe.

Flora Bowers

We have met you on several occasions and have enjoyed your positivity. And now, with the pandemic affecting our lives in such a negative way, it is with much gratitude that you and Mr. Cowles have stated that the newspaper will continue, obviously in a somewhat different manner, but will still be providing us with the news – both the good and the bad. We are subscribers since 1978 and have weathered various “storms” affecting the area. But this is something entirely different; this is a whole new world. So thank you, thank your team of reporters and photographers, thank those who print the newspaper, those who deliver it, and all those who work so hard to make a difference in our lives by keeping us informed. Everyone is doing an outstanding job.

Thank You!

Rick and Diana Wilhite

As a long-time subscriber, I wanted to thank you for all you’re doing during the pandemic – especially with having solid journalism and accurate local stories. And especially thankful for what you’re doing to keep your staff employed. Reading online on Saturday instead of print is a option I’m very comfortable with – though to be honest, it took me a few days to switch to online with coffee in the morning.

Thanks for the excellent service all you’re staff is providing.

Nan Smith

Thank you for your statements in today’s edition. Sue and I appreciate your straight-forward recitation of facts, as well as hope. I particularly appreciated your championing the locally owned newspaper in contrast to a corporately owned newspaper. I grew up in Kellogg, Idaho, and even delivered The Spokesman-Review for a short time as a kid, so I’ve been aware of this newspaper for a long time. My history with the Spokesman continues given my writing of the faith/values column. This month’s column will begin my 25th year of writing for the newspaper. I clearly remember when I began, I told the features editor I would be happy if I lasted a year! Am very happy I was wrong.

Peace,

Paul Graves

We recently moved back to Spokane from Vancouver, WA. We started our subscription with The Spokesman-Review immediately and really enjoy the local paper. We also subscribed to the Columbian in Vancouver. I love that this newspaper is locally owned and carries many local stories. I am saddened to hear of the financial troubles of all newspapers, and I want to applaud you for keeping local journalists working. I know it was a hard choice to drop the Saturday paper. Thank you for shuffling the articles to other days. You all are awesome and we really appreciate your efforts to keep us informed!

Stay well and thanks again,

Michele Attwood

I still like to read the ‘real’ newspaper in the morning, although we read the e-edition when we are away from home. My husband and I have noticed the wise decision to focus on local news and events, given the reality that we are exposed to national and world news through so many other media. We’ve also been very aware of the many efforts to engage the Spokane community, with Northwest Passages and other events.

When we read that the Saturday edition would go away, we both felt sad, but at the same time, really appreciate that the paper will continue and the staff will keep their jobs. We need our local newspaper. So, thank you and hang in there! We truly hope things will improve, advertising will come back and Spokane can continue to have its own local newspaper.

Best wishes,

Mary Noble

Add my name to the long list of grateful subscribers. We need this local newspaper now more than ever. As one of your original e-subscribers, I myself would be happy to pay more for my subscription to make up for the reduction in advertising. I’ve always thought you underprice yourselves. Not sure how popular an idea that is. But it’s an idea.

Karen Carlberg

I just want to add my 2 cents about how thankful I am that you are still publishing an excellent daily local newspaper. I only have the digital subscription, but I count on reading it cover to cover every morning on my iPad. You make it possible for me to ignore the endless TV coverage of the coronavirus since your coverage has been so comprehensive.

Thank you and your whole staff for all you do. I, for one, truly appreciate you.

Pat Partovi

Many thanks to you, the staff and owners of this newspaper for the hard decisions you all have had to make to assure the continued publication of a paper version of your newspaper. I will miss the Saturday edition, but understand the reasons for suspending it. The big “human” picture of assuring jobs is more important than holding an actual newspaper that one day a week. When we get to the other side of the current crisis, I will hope and pray that The Spokesman-Review will find that the paper may be able to return to seven days a week of print.

Beth Bornhoft

I read your article “Painful symptoms of a pandemic” (in the April 8 issue) and was impressed by its contents. I am glad to know that lately subscriptions are up for your newspaper and am very happy that your company is not getting rid of any of your reporters or photographers. I agree that in this day and age we need good quality journalists more than ever. I look forward to reading your paper every morning. Please continue your great work.

Mariko Koelling

Thank you for the recent articles about the state of newspapers. After all these years of whining about my subscription cost to the newspaper, I paused and realized how much i was spending on “streaming and subscription” TV and then when I thought I was losing my long, relaxing Saturday morning newspaper read – I am not! I am an e-edition subscriber! – I actually said out loud, “Hmmm, now I think I would pay more to keep my Review subscription.” Good reminder how much I really do value my morning “paper.”

Thank you,

Greg Hatch

While we’re sequestered at home for this Easter Sunday, we found much comfort in a homemade breakfast and the daily edition of The Spokesman-Review. Thanks for all you do!

George and Susan Stratman