From the Editor: Introducing the Oxford Free Press
Hey folks!
The first time I set foot in Oxford was in 2019, and I was trying to decide where to apply for college. My friend Grace had landed at Miami University, and she spoke highly of it. On a whim, I decided to add it to a two-day excursion from my hometown of Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, to tour the University of Cincinnati and the University of Michigan.
What I remember the most about that trip, sandwiched between two more college tours, is dinner. Oxford has dozens of local restaurants with character and charm, enough to try a new place every day for weeks.
Naturally, my mom and I got Chipotle.
Five years later, I've still only eaten at Bagel & Deli once, and there may be a restaurant or two that I'm embarrassed to admit I've never visited at all. Local eats aside, I'm happy that now, after graduating from Miami this May, I still get to call Oxford home.
I'm especially excited because it means I get to introduce the Oxford Free Press to all of you.
If you'll indulge me with a few minutes of your time, I'd like to introduce you to both myself and the Free Press. Make sure you also read the welcome letter from our fearless board president, Jim Rubenstein, as well as board secretary Richard Campbell's column on the importance of local news.
What is the Oxford Free Press?
Simply put, the Oxford Free Press is a local nonprofit newspaper, currently in the process of pursuing 501(c)3 status. The Free Press defines its primary coverage area as the Talawanda School District, but county and state stories that impact life here will also have space.
For decades, Oxford residents trusted the Oxford Press for local news. In 2018, that publication formally folded into Cox Enterprises and existed as a page insert in the Journal-News until early 2024, when the page was removed.
Oxford was left with minimal local print coverage, a situation that led Jim Rubenstein, Richard Campbell and John Skillings to look for solutions. The model they landed on was a nonprofit newspaper which will print once a week when fully operational.
Our staff is small — just me, our full-time reporter Taylor Stumbaugh and our designer Macey Chamberlin. We're here to bring you thorough coverage of this community and its people. If you're interested in advertising, writing a column or letter to the editor, commenting on our coverage, or suggesting a story idea, please reach out! I'm at editor@oxfreepress.com.
Local news coverage is essential to the health and politics of communities. To learn more about its impacts and how you can support our mission, be sure to read a column from our board secretary, Richard Campbell.
The biggest way you can help for now is to donate. We plan to launch a weekly print product this summer, but we'll need support from the community to cover our costs.
Why should I trust a random 22-year-old to tell me the news?
Wonderful question, I'm glad you asked. Let me tell you a little bit about myself before I answer.
I started at Miami University in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, taking the first five weeks of classes from my childhood bedroom in Pennsylvania. I came in as a journalism major, but I wasn't quite sure what that meant. James Tobin, the first professor I ever met, called me before classes began and put me in touch with the editors at The Miami Student newspaper.
I jumped in right away, at first to give myself something to do but increasingly because I truly liked it. Being the first to know information and sharing that information with an audience is a big responsibility, but it's also exciting. My time at The Student allowed me to cover Oxford City Council, follow local elections and write about my favorite movies and albums all at the same time. (My favorite movie is "Everything Everywhere All At Once," and "Melodrama" by Lorde is the best album ever in case you were wondering).
During my four years at The Student, I served as a Campus & Community Editor, an Entertainment Editor and the Editor-In-Chief from March 2023 until March 2024. Under my term, we expanded our environmental coverage by merging with GreenHawks and increased our coverage of the Oxford community by launching an Oxford page.
My time at The Student also overlapped with an internship at the Journal-News last summer, during which I again focused on Oxford coverage. Having the opportunity to cover Oxford has led me to care deeply about the region's history. It's connected me with the nonprofit organization where I'm adopting my first cats. It's the reason I know to always check if Hueston Woods is holding an event or launching a new area to explore.
And it's the reason I'm staying here to launch the Oxford Free Press.
If we haven't had the chance to meet yet, I hope we get to soon. Moving forward, I plan to provide plenty of opportunities to meet with people and talk about what's on your mind through public office hours, and my inbox is always open.
Thank you all for trusting me and welcoming me into the community. We'll talk again soon!
From the editor,
Sean Scott
