Muddy Birthday to us, Muddy Birthday to us

That year went fast.

A common theme over the last few months has been when people ask how long Muddy River News has been around and I say “we’re in our first year” the response is usually this:

“Wow. Really? Seems like it’s been around longer than that.”

Yes, yes it does.

Probably because most of those who contribute to the Muddy River cause have been doing journalism around here for decades and were either born within an hour’s drive of Quincy or have lived here for at least 20 years. Our beloved Stevie Mud is the only real “transplant”. I wonder if he can leave and come back in order to cash in on the “Quincy’s Calling” $5,000 bonus?

Consistency. Stability. Dependability. Not many startups are blessed to have that, but we certainly have been.

The readership numbers are, well, staggering. More than 670,000 different IP addresses have checked out Muddy River News or Sports since our launch one year ago, and sports has only been around since August 2021. Considering the population of the 10 counties in our “region”, that’s a lot.

To wake up every morning and see the numbers from the previous day are humbling. Then, when the newsletter goes out (Our partners at Vervocity have helped us solve the scheduling issue and you should be getting it consistently now) the numbers spike as people log on from there. And you can click here to sign up for the daily newsletter if you haven’t yet done so.

Jim Rapp and Mike Kinscherff (Happy birthday to you as well, Mike. It’s his actual birthday) have been tremendous partners and have offered incredible support. Our advertisers and sponsors have responded as well and we have provided the data to show them that people are flocking to Muddy River and seeing their ads.

Our sales and content teams have gone above and beyond to make our first year a success. I can’t thank them enough for their contributions.

Thank you to those who have also just donated to the cause with a contribution that usually includes a simple note or letters that basically say “we support local journalism”. This is how you can do so as well.

We have more big things on the horizon. Our video effort will be greatly enhanced with our “Muddy River TV+” page and the content we will provide there. More podcasts and more stories of what is happening in our community.

So, give us a toast as you hit Happy Hour this evening. Keep reading, watching and clicking ads.

Thank you. More to come.

J. Robert Gough is the Publisher/General Manager of Muddy River News/Sports.