What sets these publications apart from their chain-owned counterparts is that, even before the pandemic, all of them kept their role as community servants at the forefront, and they\u2019ve found creative ways to keep going through good times and bad.<\/span><\/p>\n Do you have an independent newspaper in your community that is still thriving? Or any favorite papers that have shuttered? Shout them out in the comments below.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Monterey County Weekly<\/i><\/b><\/a> (Seaside, California)<\/b><\/p>\n This independently owned alt-weekly from Seaside, California, is a long-time survivor, serving local readers since 1988. Though covering the local arts and entertainment scene is its economic bread and butter, the <\/span>Weekly<\/span><\/i> is also known for hard-hitting investigative and in-depth reporting, especially as coverage in other local papers has shrunk.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGood journalism is good business,\u201d publisher Erik Cushman says.<\/span><\/p>\n When the pandemic shutdown began, readers feared for the <\/span>Weekly<\/span><\/i>\u2019s very existence after nearly a third of the staff was laid off. Yet even on the brink of disaster, the paper survived and is thriving today.<\/span><\/p>\n “The <\/span>Weekly<\/span><\/i> now has a newsroom staff of nine, more than it\u2019s ever had,” said editor Sara Rubin.<\/span><\/p>\n But being a nurse isn\u2019t the be-all and end-all for Matsumoto. Her husband, Alfred Sadler, encouraged her to paint after seeing a sketch she made. \u201cHe is an amazing guy,\u201d she says of Sadler.https:\/\/t.co\/dnvxQYJGCU<\/a><\/p>\n — Monterey County Weekly (@mcweekly) October 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/2\/2c\/Monterey_County_Weekly_Logo.png\"){kind=logo}
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