Organization of the Year: Oxford Free Press

The Oxford Free Press has been recognized as Oxford’s Organization of the Year for restoring a local newspaper to Oxford. The recognition includes the volunteers serving on the Board of Directors, the volunteers who write for the newspaper and the volunteers who deliver the newspaper each Friday. Nominating the Oxford Free Press as a whole or individual volunteers were Bobbe Burke, Bob Carmean, Jackie Hunt, Terry Hunt, Sally Southard and Bill Wortman.

The Oxford Press was a weekly newspaper from 1936 until recent years, when it became a weekend section and ultimately a single page in the Sunday Journal-News, before being shut down altogether in January 2024. During the first half of 2024, efforts were initiated to create a new weekly newspaper for Oxford. The result is the Oxford Free Press, a nonprofit news organization which began publishing online in June and as a print edition in July.

The Free Press is led by a volunteer Board of Directors. James Rubenstein serves as president, while John Skillings is treasurer and Richard Campbell is secretary. Other board members include Stephanie Aerni, Cathryn Loucas, Rosemary Pennington, Anna Reier, Pate Rudolph and Allan Winkler.

In their nomination letter, Jackie and Terry Hunt wrote, “The Oxford Free Press has involved many people, all who should be recognized. Jim Rubenstein, Richard Campbell and John Skillings for their persistence in making the concept happen. They recruited a board, founding editor and space to work in. The editor and staff and volunteer writers have all contributed. Thousands of hours have been spent getting it published. In addition, many have been involved in weekly distributions. Many local people have also donated funds.”

Sally Southard wrote, “A community informed is a community prepared thoughtfully to talk with friends and neighbors. A region of people informed becomes a community that cares. As a community informed, friends and neighbors talk about issues large and personal.”

“For almost a decade Oxford and its surrounding townships have been without a newspaper to inform us jointly,” Southard continued. “Although good things may have occurred, we together have not shared that news and celebrated together. People may have talked instead about our failures. Distrust begins. Now we can jointly celebrate, build trust and unite to do better for all our residents.”

Key to the success of the Oxford Free Press was the hiring of Sean Scott as founding editor. A 2024 graduate of Miami University, Scott was an award-winning editor-in-chief of The Miami Student newspaper. 

The Oxford Free Press is certified by the IRS as a nonprofit corporation and is sustained by tax-deductible donations from the public, as well as support from foundations. More than 300 Oxford-area households have donated to the newspaper to support the organization’s mission.

A team of volunteers led by Bobbe Burke (recognized as Oxford’s Citizen of the Years) distributes the newspaper to dozens of locations in Oxford and nearby communities each week.

In nominating the Oxford Free Press, Jackie and Terry Hunt conclude, “The result has been of great value to the community.”