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Discover Mid-America — March 2006
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I’ve met my competition, and he is 13 years
old
by Bruce Rodgers, Editor/Publisher
Jan Bratcher, owner of Bratcher Cooperage in Liberty, MO, can get on a talkative roll when she is excited about something. She was like that when she told me about Patrick McDowell.
“You’ve got to meet him, Bruce,” Jan told me one day in early January. “This kid is something else!”
Patrick is a 13-year-old boy and a 7th grader at Liberty Middle School. His age alone had me suspicious that Jan might be exaggerating a bit. But I was curious and Jan kept at it.
Patrick, she said, has a newspaper, The Downtown Liberty. He is the publisher, editor, photographer, advertising rep and distributor of the newspaper. His is an all-in-one operation.
“So let me get this right,” I said to Jan. “He writes the articles, sells the ads and distributes the paper?”
“That’s right,” she answered emphatically..
“Does he design it, too…lay it out?” I asked somewhat skeptical.
“I bet he does,” she said, just as sure of her answer as before.
Okay, I said to Jan, let’s arrange an interview. My journalistic curiosity had been roused.
A few weeks later, I met Patrick at Jan’s shop. There at the counter stood a soon-to-be young man, offering a smile through age-appropriate braces, with a retro ‘70s haircut. He stood straight, delivered a good handshake; and if I intimidated him, he didn’t show it. Patrick was friendly, well spoken, self-assured and answered many of my questions like he had anticipated them. Any doubts I had about Jan over-hyping this kid’s abilities melted away.
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Patrick
McDowell, founder and publisher of The Downtown Liberty.After our mutual acknowledgments, I asked for and got the January issue of The Downtown Liberty. The page-one main story headline was “What Is Your New Year’s Resolution?” Here, Patrick interviewed various business owners in downtown Liberty, face to face. It’s an approach that pleases the merchants including Patrick’s mom, Jill, who owns Bittersweet Fragrance Boutique located in the Historic Liberty Square.
“Once he sets his mind to something, he follows through,” said Jill.
Patrick is sold on being locally focused when it comes to news delivery. It’s an attitude shared by many Liberty residents as they’ve seen their hometown newspaper become more homogeneous through ownership changes until it’s less Liberty specific.
“Readers want to read more if its local,” said Patrick, seemingly acknowledging a business vacuum he’s trying to fill. “Local affects them more.”
The resolution story and the secondary feature, the “End of The Holiday Lights,” were journalistic naturals as newspaper topics for early January. Patrick’s instincts seemed right-on, but I still had to ask him where his story ideas came from.
“My story ideas relate to me in the questions I have,” Patrick said.
In my book, there is no better answer a journalist can give.
“I like interviewing people and taking pictures,” Patrick continued. “That’s the best part.
“I like writing the story, getting the story right, seeing the finished product and making advertisers happy. I wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t fun.”
Patrick’s remarks almost left me slack-jawed. The thought that this kid could some day compete with Discover Mid-America crossed my mind — and a tough competitor he would be. I almost asked him if he had an interest in antiques, but I caught myself.
Patrick’s attraction to journalism began by watching local TV news specifically KMBC Channel 9 and news anchor Larry Moore. “I like their news, it’s professional,” said Patrick, who has interviewed Moore via email for a school project. That experience for the A student pretty much solidified his career goal.
“My dream is to have this newspaper along with being a news anchor,” he said assuredly.
Listening to Patrick talk of his ambitions and reading The Downtown Liberty newspaper would convince just about anyone that he will succeed in getting what he wants in life.
His newspaper is an impressive feat for a 13 year old and worth spending time with. Single copies are 85 cents and available at many downtown Liberty businesses. Subscriptions are available for which subscribers get the color edition. Ad space is very affordable.
I’m thinking about buying an ad in The Downtown Liberty for Discover Mid-America. It might soften any competitive fever Patrick might have concerning branching into the antique publication business.
Contact Bruce Rodgers at publisher@discoverypub.com.
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