As you may know, the much-loved Anipal Times is closing down on May 31. The many messages that have come in saying how much everyone has enjoyed the AT and asking if anything could possibly be done to keep an anipal newspaper in publication are very touching, and we're all very gratified to know that all the work that has gone into the paper has been so much appreciated.
When I was first asked if I would be prepared to start another newspaper my reaction was that I don't have the time. Like so many other things, the part the public sees is no more than the tip of the iceberg in terms of the planning, preparation, writing and production that go into it, and if a gifted and hard-working Editorial Team don't have the resources to keep it going then there's no way that an individual can.
Then, purely out of sentiment, I had a look through some of the AT's earliest editions, and there was one article in particular that I couldn't get out of my mind. It explained that the reason for setting up the AT in the first place was because a community that's worthy of the name deserves and needs a newspaper that caters for its interests.
Well, I couldn't argue with that, or with the fact that the anipal community is a wonderful, golden-hearted bunch of critters that I'm very proud indeed to be a member of. I started to wonder if there might indeed be a way that I could start and run another paper... and I started to believe perhaps there might.
Things have changed since the AT first started publication, and many of the subjects covered by the paper are now well catered for by others and can safely be left out. Also, the development of blogging makes publishing much easier and quicker, and offers the opportunity that a new paper could be produced in much less work-intensive ways.
So, I took a deep breath and decided to go ahead.
The Anipal Courier will launch on June 7, the Tuesday after AT closes, so there will be no break in continuity, and will be published twice a week. On Tuesdays it will have a Social Events column like the one that I've been writing in AT for over 3 years now, and on Fridays there will be a special feature article. The Anipal Events Calendar will continue, and the paper will preview Upcoming Events. I'm also hoping to include some social announcements, such as birthday greetings, announcements of the arrival of a fursib, and anything else that you would like the anipal community to know about.
The way to get in touch is to use the Contact Form in the right-paw sidebar, DM me at @ShaynaCat (hopefully @AnipalCourier will be coming soon!) or email me at anipalcourierATgmailDOTcom. Don't worry if we don't already follow each other - you just need follow me on either or both of those accounts, because I always follow anipals back :-)
Between now and the official launch date I'll be adding posts and pages and tweaking the design so we can hit the ground running on June 7. In the meantime I'll be continuing to write for the AT as usual, and I must admit I'm not looking forward to the last edition, which is going to be an emotional experience for all of us who've worked there. I'd especially like to thank my Editors, @brutusthedane and @SnowyWestie, and AT's Publisher, @GeorgeTheDuck, for all their help, encouragement and friendship, and for all the fun and laughter that we've shared in getting articles out there, sometimes in spite of all Wordpress and the Internet could throw at us!
The anipal community is a very special place, and it is a great honor to be part of it.
So, I took a deep breath and decided to go ahead.
The Anipal Courier will launch on June 7, the Tuesday after AT closes, so there will be no break in continuity, and will be published twice a week. On Tuesdays it will have a Social Events column like the one that I've been writing in AT for over 3 years now, and on Fridays there will be a special feature article. The Anipal Events Calendar will continue, and the paper will preview Upcoming Events. I'm also hoping to include some social announcements, such as birthday greetings, announcements of the arrival of a fursib, and anything else that you would like the anipal community to know about.
The way to get in touch is to use the Contact Form in the right-paw sidebar, DM me at @ShaynaCat (hopefully @AnipalCourier will be coming soon!) or email me at anipalcourierATgmailDOTcom. Don't worry if we don't already follow each other - you just need follow me on either or both of those accounts, because I always follow anipals back :-)
Between now and the official launch date I'll be adding posts and pages and tweaking the design so we can hit the ground running on June 7. In the meantime I'll be continuing to write for the AT as usual, and I must admit I'm not looking forward to the last edition, which is going to be an emotional experience for all of us who've worked there. I'd especially like to thank my Editors, @brutusthedane and @SnowyWestie, and AT's Publisher, @GeorgeTheDuck, for all their help, encouragement and friendship, and for all the fun and laughter that we've shared in getting articles out there, sometimes in spite of all Wordpress and the Internet could throw at us!
The anipal community is a very special place, and it is a great honor to be part of it.
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