In the midst of the nation’s shrinking newspaper market, a new weekly publication has entered the eccentric Unicoi County scene. The Valley Beautiful Beacon (www.vbbeacon.com [1]) is the brainchild of a group of local business leaders allegedly fed up with what they perceive as the existing paper’s negative slant, launched to compete directly with long-time media presence, The Erwin Record (www.erwinrecordonline.com [2]).

The corporate-owned Record promoted Tri-Cities newspaper veteran Mark A. Stevens to publisher of the 78-year-old, award-winning weekly in 2004, and soon after, sparks flew. The paper’s hard-hitting news approach miffed some of its readership, especially when referencing Erwin’s political and business leaders. An insider with the Record claims the information was accurate, although Stevens himself declined comment. Other sources reveal that many of those individuals implicated in the Record’s news stories attempted to speak with Stevens, but to no avail. The group also allegedly tried to purchase the paper but was told it wasn’t for sale.

In their minds, that left them with only one option: Launch a new paper.

But can a town of 5,840 support both? Since the Beacon rolled out its first issue in April 2005, it’s so far, so good. “We’re a resilient people,” says Beacon editor Betty Chandler. “We’re locally owned. We have many stockholders who could be your next-door neighbor. Our care and our interest in the community may exceed that of a large corporate entity.” (The Erwin Record is owned by Sandusky (OH) Newspapers Inc. along with The Kingsport Times-News, The Johnson City Press, The Jonesborough Herald & Tribune and The Lebanon Democrat.)

The community may run the Beacon business, but Chandler insists it does not spin the paper’s content. She has responded to negative feedback from her readership and attempts to part on good terms. The response to the Erwin newcomer has been mixed. Many residents and advertisers support both—others have remained loyal to one or the other, Chandler says.

Erwin’s plight is certainly not unusual, especially in rural Tennessee. “We’ve seen so many counties that had multiple newspapers go to just one publication. But if [an upstart] newspaper is providing good content and attracting readers, they’ll do well,” says Greg Sherrill, executive director of the Tennessee Press Association.

As the two weeklies duke it out, they will both pay annual homage to Unicoi County’s most famous visitor, Mary the Elephant. In 1916, the circus pachyderm killed her trainer and was transported by train to Erwin to be hanged from a railroad derrick.

Maybe the paper that can best rehash this old elephant’s tale with renewed flare should be declared the winner.