Valley Roadrunner
{{Infobox newspaper
| name = Valley Roadrunner
| type = Weekly newspaper
| format = Broadsheet
| foundation = 1974
| founder = Derek Van Quackenbush
| political =
| owners = Roadrunner Publications, Inc.
| headquarters = 29115 Valley Center Rd., Ste. L
Valley Center, California
| circulation = 3,000
| circulation_date = 2021
| publisher = Justin Salter
| editor = David Ross
| oclc = 43080311
| website = {{url|valleycenter.com}}
}}
The Valley Roadrunner is a weekly print newspaperPorter, Doug (27 August 2014). [http://sandiegofreepress.org/2014/08/who-runs-san-diego-the-role-of-community-weeklies/ "Who Runs San Diego? The Role of Community Weeklies"]. San Diego Free Press. published in Valley Center, California serving Valley Center, Palomar Mountain, Pauma Valley, Pala, and North Escondido, California. It was founded in 1974.
History
The newspaper was founded in 1974 by Derek "Van" Quackenbush (1921–2015), a journalism graduate of the University of Missouri who had founded and owned several local newspapers in Minnesota and Illinois prior to settling in San Diego County.Dartmouth College Alumni Magazine (May–June 2015). [http://dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/derek-van-quackenbush-%E2%80%9943 "Derek Van Quackenbush '43"] According to one of its long-time editors, David Ross, the Roadrunner name was suggested by Quackenbush's father who had seen "something running around" and the floor of his canning factory.Bernhard, Jim (2007). [https://books.google.com/books?id=_oO5fWi6dikC&pg=PA111 Porcupine, Picayune, & Post: How Newspapers Get Their Names], p. 111. University of Missouri Press. {{ISBN|0826266010}}. Van Quakenbush sold the paper to Dale and Shirley Good in 1992 who ran it for the next 20 years.{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |date=2015-09-02 |title=The Roadrunner has been sold! |url=https://www.valleycenter.com/articles/the-roadrunner-has-been-sold/ |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=Valley Roadrunner}}
In 2012, the Valley Roadrunner was bought by Eric Buskirk whose company Verican produced software for newspapers and also owned The Henderson Press in Nevada and The Valley Chronicle in Hemet, California. According to Buskirk, the paper was near folding at the time he purchased it with a 50% fall in its revenues from its heyday. Buskirk began cutting the workforce and outsourcing some of the paper's production to China. These developments led to the resignation in 2013 of Ross, the paper's principle editor, who had written most of the paper's articles for the previous 25 years.Jones, J. Harry (13 October 2013). [http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2013/oct/13/valley-center-roadrunner-china/. "The local voice of VC for decades is partially being produced in Beijing"]. San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
In September 2015, the paper was purchased by Justin Salter, and Ross returned to its editorship.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=January 6, 2016 |title=Times-Advocate in Escondido, Valley Center sold to Roadrunner |url=https://www.northcoastcurrent.com/region/2016/01/times-advocate-in-escondido-valley-center-sold-to-roadrunner/ |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=North Coast Current}} Ross celebrated 40 years of working at the Valley Roadrunner in May 2024.{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=PJ |date=2024-05-10 |title=Making a long story short: David Ross celebrates 40 years at Roadrunner - |url=https://www.valleycenter.com/articles/making-a-long-story-short-david-ross-celebrates-40-years-at-roadrunner/ |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=Valley Roadrunner}}
Awards
In 2008, the paper's journalists won 7 San Diego Press Club awards in the "Humour", "Breaking news", "Best news website", and "Commentary" categories for non-daily papers.San Diego Union-Tribune (21 October 2008). [http://legacy.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/metro/images/081022press_club_awards08.pdf "San Diego Press Club 35th Annual Excellence in Journalism Awards"]. Retrieved 7 June 2016. The paper's other local journalism awards include:
- 2008 San Diego Society of Professional Journalists James Julian Memorial Prize for Patsy Fritz's fire coverage.{{Cite web |last= |date=2008-07-16 |title=2008 SPJ award winners |url=https://spjsandiego.org/2008/07/16/2008-spj-award-winners/ |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=San Diego Society of Professional Journalists |language=en}}
- 2007 San Diego Society of Professional Journalists Awards in the "Investigative/Enterprise story" and "Opinion/Editorial" categories{{Cite web |last= |date=2007-07-30 |title=2007 SPJ Awards Winners |url=https://spjsandiego.org/2007/07/30/2007-spj-awards-winners/ |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=San Diego Society of Professional Journalists |language=en}}
- 2006 San Diego Society of Professional Journalists Herbert Lockwood "Woody" Award for humorous writing.{{Cite web |last= |date=2006-07-19 |title=2006 Journalism Award Winners |url=https://spjsandiego.org/2006/07/19/2006-journalism-award-winners/ |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=San Diego Society of Professional Journalists |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist|45em}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www.valleycenter.com/}}
{{Portal bar|California|Journalism}}
Category:Weekly newspapers published in California
Category:Mass media in San Diego County, California
Category:Companies based in San Diego County, California
Category:Escondido, California
Category:Valley Center, California