BY JEFF BACON
Each week in The Weekly Sun, The Chamber highlights a local member business or event to help paint the picture of life here in the Wood River Valley. The Chamber felt it was time to put the spotlight on The Weekly Sun’s publisher and editor, Brennan Rego, who is usually behind the lens, so to speak.
As The Weekly Sun is one of the primary objective sources of information for the Valley, the staff at the newspaper wouldn’t normally put themselves in the paper. Fortunately, Brennan is a good sport.
The Chamber: Today, you’re the publisher of The Weekly Sun. How did you get started in the newspaper business?
Brennan Rego: Like most journalists, my path started with a passion for writing. Another passion of mine is cooking. After college, I matriculated in a culinary institute in San Francisco where they put as much importance on learning the business of restaurants as on the food prep. In the last quarter I was asked to find and do something outside the box, so I contacted a local magazine and was hired to be a food writer. Through hard work and a series of fortunate coincidences, I found myself on a travel writing assignment with other writers from around the country at a resort in the Bahamas. The experience of researching that article and finally seeing it in print sealed the deal for me. I knew I wanted to be a reporter. When I came back to the Valley, I saw an ad in the Idaho Mountain Express for a reporter. I’m forever grateful to the editors at the Mountain Express for helping me learn how to write news stories.
TC: The advent of the Internet started it, but technology keeps changing the way people get their daily news. In many parts of the country even the largest newspapers with decades of history are being shuttered. Locally, we have two newspapers. What is insulating the Wood River Valley from this reality?
BR: Our tourism economy is a big part of that. As a visitor to any area, one of the first things you do is grab the local paper to find all the best things to do and places to visit. Today, through the work of many organizations, we’re fortunate to have a very robust tourist economy. Also, a great side effect of having two newspapers is how that maintains a critical balance for unbiased reporting. John Oliver in Last Week Tonight did a great piece on why newspapers represent the single best source of news reporting. If we didn’t have reporters from the two newspapers attending meetings and being at events, it would be a completely different story in regards to how connected residents feel to this Valley.
TC: What gets you out of bed every morning? Why do you do this?
BR: I want to produce an informative work of art that provides a healthy connection to every corner of our Valley. Each week we want The Weekly Sun to be a fun read that keeps people up to date on everything they need to know and everywhere they need to be. We’re all about connection, not division, and I look forward to making that happen every week of the year.
TC: Is there anything that people are not aware of in regards to The Weekly Sun?
BR: What it takes to prepare a paper EVERY week. We have a small staff, and the finished product contradicts that each time we put an issue on the stands. We are also working with a group called Patreon that manages fundraising campaigns for artists. We know we have a great product, but we need fuel, and Patreon gives people a chance to help us fuel this machine. Anyone wanting to help can visit Patreon.com/TheWeeklySun. Even just a dollar per week from each of our readers would really help us continue to grow our paper.
TC: Any changes coming in the near future for The Weekly Sun?
BR: Stay tuned for an online news source unlike anything Idaho has ever seen. Also, the winter issue of our 101 Things To Do magazine will be out on stands very soon.
Jeff Bacon is The Chamber’s executive director. For more information, visit haileyidaho.com or call The Chamber at (208) 788-348