The Ester Republic
Encyclopedia
The Ester Republic is a small, independent monthly newspaper
published in Ester, Alaska
, and established January 1999. The paper serves as an alternative media
publication for the Tanana Valley
. It is the only newspaper that has been published in Ester; the village has been served historically by Fairbanks
newspapers. Contributors are generally amateur writers, although some professional journalist
s, poet
s, and photographers appear in its pages (e.g., Richard A. Fineberg
, John Haines
, Dahr Jamail
). The periodical encourages submissions of editorial cartoon
s by Alaskan artists, and has two "staff" cartoonists, Jamie Smith and Daniel Darrow. The paper has been operated out of the home of the publisher for much of its history; for a time its office space was the historic Ester post office
, a 14'x16' structure built in 1971.
The paper was the recipient of at least one award from the Alaska Press Club
each year from 2002 to 2008.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published in Ester, Alaska
Ester, Alaska
Ester is a census-designated place in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the 'Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 2,422 at the 2010 census...
, and established January 1999. The paper serves as an alternative media
Alternative media
Alternative media are media which provide alternative information to the mainstream media in a given context, whether the mainstream media are commercial, publicly supported, or government-owned...
publication for the Tanana Valley
Tanana Valley
The Tanana Valley is a lowland region in central Alaska in the United States, on the north side of the Alaska Range where the Tanana River emerges from the mountains.-Climate:...
. It is the only newspaper that has been published in Ester; the village has been served historically by Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
newspapers. Contributors are generally amateur writers, although some professional journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
s, and photographers appear in its pages (e.g., Richard A. Fineberg
Richard A. Fineberg
Richard A. Fineberg is a freelance investigative journalist specializing in issues related to petroleum development. He lives in Ester, Alaska and writes articles for such journals as Petroleum News, reports for the U.S...
, John Haines
John Haines
John Haines was an American poet and educator who had served as the poet laureate of Alaska.John Meade Haines, who was born in Norfolk, Virginia, published nine collections of poetry. He was appointed the Poet Laureate of Alaska in 1969. A collection of critical essays about his poetry, The...
, Dahr Jamail
Dahr Jamail
Dahr Jamail is an American journalist who is best known as one of the few unembedded journalists to report extensively from Iraq during the 2003 Iraq invasion. He spent eight months in Iraq, between 2003 to 2005, and presented his stories on his website, entitled Dahr Jamail's MidEast Dispatches....
). The periodical encourages submissions of editorial cartoon
Editorial cartoon
An editorial cartoon, also known as a political cartoon, is an illustration containing a commentary that usually relates to current events or personalities....
s by Alaskan artists, and has two "staff" cartoonists, Jamie Smith and Daniel Darrow. The paper has been operated out of the home of the publisher for much of its history; for a time its office space was the historic Ester post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, a 14'x16' structure built in 1971.
The paper was the recipient of at least one award from the Alaska Press Club
Alaska Press Club
The Alaska Press Club is a network of journalists and media in Alaska. The club holds an annual journalism conference and awards banquet in Anchorage, Alaska known as J-Week. The club was incorporated in 1951. The club consists of several hundred members and is open to student and professional...
each year from 2002 to 2008.