Sandpoint Reader

The Sandpoint Reader was founded in December 2004 by Zach Hagadone, John Reuter and Chris DeCleur. The three met while working at The Coyote, the student newspaper at Albertson College, and started the Reader shortly after graduating.{{Cite news |last=Druzin |first=Heath |date=June 4, 2006 |title=Albertson College grad began weekly paper while still a student |work=The Idaho Statesman |pages=6}} The paper suspended publication in 2012 after the last of the founders moved away from Sandpoint.{{Cite news |last=Rasmusson |first=Cameron |date=April 10, 2012 |title=The Reader's founders remember paper's colorful history |work=Bonner County Daily Bee |pages=1}}

After a near three-year hiatus, the Reader was relaunched in January 2015. Publisher Ben Olson resurrected the paper in partnership Keokee Publishing. At that time Cameron Rasmusson was named editor.{{Cite web |last= |date=May 18, 2017 |title=Sandpoint Reader named month's top business |url=https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2017/may/18/sandpoint-reader-named-months-top-business-7/ |access-date=February 1, 2025 |website=Bonner County Daily Bee |language=en}} In 2019, Zach Hagadone returned to the Reader and succeeded Rasmusson as editor after previously working for four years as Boise Weekly editor.{{cite news |last1=Hagadone |first1=Zach |date=11 July 2019 |title=Hello my name is Zach Hagadone and I'll be your Sandpoint Reader editor today |url=https://sandpointreader.com/hello-my-name-is-zach-hagadone-and-ill-be-your-sandpoint-reader-editor-today/ |access-date=17 July 2021 |publisher=Sandpoint Reader}}

In March 2020, Olson laid off all staff at the start of the COVID-19 recession in the United States.{{Cite news |last=McIntosh |first=Scott |date=April 5, 2020 |title=Coronavirus hits local news outlets: Idaho weekly lays off staff |url=https://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/from-the-opinion-editor/article241622981.html |access-date=February 1, 2025 |work=The Idaho Statesman |pages=C6}} The paper was able to temporarily rehire the three employees with money donated from readers and funds from the Paycheck Protection Program.{{Cite web |last=Hegyi |first=Nate |date=April 13, 2020 |title=Stimulus, Reader Donations Help Small Idaho Newspaper Temporarily Rehire Staff |url=https://www.kunc.org/2020-04-13/stimulus-reader-donations-help-small-idaho-newspaper-temporarily-rehire-staff |access-date=February 1, 2025 |website=KUNC |language=en}}

In 2017 the Reader produced an eight-week series of in-depth articles and profiles on the American Redoubt with support from the Idaho Press Club.{{cite web |last1=Olson |first1=Ben |title=The American Redoubt Series by the Sandpoint Reader |url=http://www.idahopressclub.org/the-american-redoubt-series-by-the-sandpoint-reader/ |access-date=17 July 2021 |website=Idaho Press Club}}

An investigation in late 2017 by the Reader led to the first public identification of a neo-Nazi activist, Scott Rhodes, who was distributing racist and anti-semitic literature locally and making robocalls targeting high-profile events and political races nationally. The Reader in 2018 was subsequently targeted in harassing and threatening calls, videos and letters.{{cite news |last1=Wilson |first1=Jason |date=28 September 2018 |title=Neo-Nazi activist behind racist robocalls linked to threats of Idaho newspaper |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/28/idaho-robocalls-sandpoint-reader-neo-nazi |access-date=17 July 2021 |work=The Guardian}} National media including the Washington Post, New York Times and others carried stories on the robocaller after the Reader broke the story.{{cite news |last1=Wootson Jr |first1=Cleve R. |date=2 September 2018 |title='We Negroes' robocall is an attempt to 'weaponize race' in Florida campaign, Gillum warns |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/01/an-appalling-robocall-racism-invades-floridas-governors-race-second-time-this-week/ |access-date=17 July 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite news |last1=Gold |first1=Michael |date=27 December 2019 |title=Racist Robocalls About Tessa Majors Are Made to Columbia Employees |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/27/nyregion/racist-robocall-barnard.html |access-date=17 July 2021 |work=The New York Times}} In January 2021, the FCC levied a $9.9 million fine on Rhodes for illegally using caller ID spoofing in making thousands of calls targeting communities with harmful recorded messages.{{cite web |date=14 January 2021 |title=FCC Fines Robocaller Scott Rhodes Nearly $10M for Illegal Spoofing |url=https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-fines-robocaller-scott-rhodes-nearly-10m-illegal-spoofing |access-date=17 July 2021 |website=Federal Communications Commission}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://sandpointreader.com/ Sandpoint Reader website]

Category:Newspapers published in Idaho

Category:Newspapers established in 2004

Category:Weekly newspapers published in the United States

Category:2004 establishments in Idaho

Category:Sandpoint, Idaho