Stockman welcomes sponsorships, partnerships

Irving—The transformation from Rambler Newspapers to Rambler Texas Media, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, marked a change from producing a single community newspaper to creating a statewide news service. The company’s headquarters and back-office operations remain in Irving. Our new focus includes rescuing very small community newspapers in Texas (1-4 man shops). 

Rambler Texas Media now produces newspapers for three areas:

We are currently working with other newspapers that are facing the threat of closure.

Research shows that communities without a local news outlet pay more in taxes and more for goods and services. Also, misinformation and disinformation flourish in the vacuum created by a lack of responsible reporting on local events and activities. Accurate information allows residents to understand community problems and develop workable solutions.

Rambler Texas Media focuses on the community stories that large regional news organizations often ignore. 

Newspapers are the historians of everyday life for a community. These stories inform people about their community. They also educate the community about the activities of local government and reduce falsehoods spread on social media. A strong news organization should reflect the community’s identity and promote community engagement.

However, non-profits still pay bills. The estimated cost for Rambler Texas Media to produce the Ozona Stockman for 2025 is $156,000. This is only for the newspaper that covers Crockett County and the surrounding areas and includes $49,000 in print costs and newspaper delivery. This estimated cost includes 30 percent of the staff and office space costs. By having multiple products, we can share the operational costs effectively, reducing the costs for each community.

On Dec. 1, Rambler Texas Media took the next step toward becoming a sustainable news organization. This shifts the focus of Rambler Texas Media from inward construction to outward marketing and the development of expanded content by including other organizations in the community. Therefore, it is now working to develop stronger community involvement.

We have three different sponsorship programs designed to create better relationships with the community while raising funds to expand coverage for Crockett County and surrounding markets. These programs allow organizations and companies to have their voices represented in the newspaper on a weekly or monthly basis. These programs also allow non-profit organizations to raise funds through revenue sharing. We are asking subscribers and other supporters of local community journalism to visit their churches or other organizations and reach out to us to learn how we can partner for everyone's benefit.