High Plains Reader
Encyclopedia
The High Plains Reader is an alternative newspaper serving the Fargo
and Grand Forks
metropolitan areas, with an estimated readership of 20,000 to 30,000 weekly between print and online readers. The tabloid was founded in 1994 by Ian Swanson, Peter Ryan, and Len Schmid in Grand Forks, North Dakota
and is currently owned by Raul Gomez and John Strand who purchased the paper in late December 1996. After a flood and fire destroyed their Grand Forks office, the Reader moved its office to Fargo
, while still covering both Fargo and Grand Forks. In 2004, the Reader celebrated its 10th anniversary in different venues in the Fargo-Moorhead
area, including Ralph's Corner Bar.
.
Recurring portions of the High Plains Reader include the weekly editorial, generally written by sales director John Strand; the "Dear John" section for letters to the editor; the cover story; a theater column; movie reviews, one by writer Greg Carlson, who covers current movies, and one by Christopher Jacobs, who often writes about his own film productions and DVD releases of rare and classic movies, a Best Bets section, generally giving brief synopses of upcoming events, focusing mostly on local musicians; and a calendar section, a detailed list of daily events for the upcoming week.
The column was not in a question-and-answer format, but rather, offered general information about sexual activities, including accounts of the writer's own. Critics saw little more than shock value in the column.
Moorhead stopped writing for the Reader in early 2005. Ed Raymond returned to writing his column the following June.
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
and Grand Forks
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
metropolitan areas, with an estimated readership of 20,000 to 30,000 weekly between print and online readers. The tabloid was founded in 1994 by Ian Swanson, Peter Ryan, and Len Schmid in Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
and is currently owned by Raul Gomez and John Strand who purchased the paper in late December 1996. After a flood and fire destroyed their Grand Forks office, the Reader moved its office to Fargo
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
, while still covering both Fargo and Grand Forks. In 2004, the Reader celebrated its 10th anniversary in different venues in the Fargo-Moorhead
Fargo-Moorhead
Fargo-Moorhead is a common name given to the metropolitan area comprising Fargo, North Dakota, Moorhead, Minnesota, and the surrounding communities. These two cities lie on the North Dakota-Minnesota border, on opposite banks of the Red River of the North...
area, including Ralph's Corner Bar.
Features
The paper features reviews of bands, movies, and theater in Fargo-Moorhead, plus a calendar of weekly events. Its editorials generally take a more leftist tack than those of The Forum of Fargo-MoorheadThe Forum of Fargo-Moorhead
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, previously titled the Fargo Forum, is a daily newspaper printed in Fargo, North Dakota and owned by Forum Communications. The Forum, as it is commonly known, is the primary daily paper for southeast North Dakota, and also much of northwest Minnesota. Its average daily...
.
Recurring portions of the High Plains Reader include the weekly editorial, generally written by sales director John Strand; the "Dear John" section for letters to the editor; the cover story; a theater column; movie reviews, one by writer Greg Carlson, who covers current movies, and one by Christopher Jacobs, who often writes about his own film productions and DVD releases of rare and classic movies, a Best Bets section, generally giving brief synopses of upcoming events, focusing mostly on local musicians; and a calendar section, a detailed list of daily events for the upcoming week.
Controversy
Regular columnist Ed Raymond withdrew his "The Gadfly" column after the Reader began carrying Allison Moorhead's sex column in late 2004, which had a controversial and short (two column) run at North Dakota State University's newspaper The Spectrum.The column was not in a question-and-answer format, but rather, offered general information about sexual activities, including accounts of the writer's own. Critics saw little more than shock value in the column.
Moorhead stopped writing for the Reader in early 2005. Ed Raymond returned to writing his column the following June.
External links
- High Plains Reader website
- High Plains Reader article at the Moviemaking Wiki Project
- Greg Carlson article at the Moviemaking Wiki Project
- Christopher Jacobs article at the Moviemaking Wiki Project