The People News, a free newspaper serving Cleveland Tennessee (TN) and Bradley County Tennessee (Tn).





Of Bradley County Tn.


MARCH  2007

                            The People News, a free newspaper serving Cleveland and Bradley County Tn.

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People Power

by Alexandra Edwards

This month is an exiting time for The People News as it enters its tenth year in publication.
The very first issue, published in February 1998 with just 12 pages, caused quite a stir among community leaders. One even went as far as to try to prevent advertisers from supporting the paper by sending out intimidating letters to them. Competitors were reported as saying "they won't last three months."

Friends warned that an out spoken, tell it like it is, newspaper is likely to make many enemies and get sued out of existence.... but The People News continued, keeping a spotlight on government and giving to the community a fresh new alternative to local media coverage by offering more conservative and independent commentary.

Over the past nine years we have witnessed dramatic changes in local government. Familiar names and faces that for years monopolized the County Commission, city council, school boards, planning commissions and a variety of influential committees have come and gone. Powerful members of the local media have come and gone, yet The People News is still around and has continued to grow in popularity.

Alexandra Edwards


The aim of The People News was to bring balance to our written information supply and give ordinary citizens a vehicle in which to express their feelings, concerns and opinions. During the first year of publication, the paper welcomed 17 independent writers, many of whom are still featured today.

Starting with just 12 black and white pages, ten paid ads and circulation of 4,000, The People News has more than doubled in size, quantity and quality. Many of the pages are now in full color, with more photographs. The paper  enjoys a solid advertising base, working with local businesses to provide affordable exposure. Publishing a newspaper that is

free to the public, requires selling advertising to pay for the printing process. The continued support of the many local businesses has enabled us to give readers more color and wider content variety.  There is something for everyone  from politics, editorials, gossip to  health, recipes, mystical, country life, WWI and 2 stories and humor.

April of 2003 was a great leap forward for The People News when its online edition was added:  www.thepeoplenews.com. What started as a small news sheet to inform and entertain the citizens of Bradley County is now read by thousands, not just locally but all across the globe. Unlike most online newspapers, Thepeoplenews.com allows the reader

to view pages without logging in and without tiresome pop-ups. In fact the website is completely clean and free from computer bugs.  With just a click, the archive feature can take you through all back issues from April 2003 to present. Site statistics show the online edition to be very well visited as it receives much response both nationally and internationally. Although thepeoplenews.com can be accessed directly, it is also listed on many of the world newspaper directories. One important directory, Mondotimes.com,  invites its members to rate the world's media. It was recently discovered that The People News was on the list of top twenty best newspapers and top twenty best media in the USA.  Not bad for a free monthly newspaper primarily catering to Bradley County residents.

May of 2003 saw the introduction of ClevelandBradleyBusiness.com.. a business directory dedicated to promoting local merchants and service industries. Sponsored by The People News, the website was designed with the consumer in mind, and also gives useful information and tips for small business. The directory provides a free business category as well as an alphabetical listing for all local area businesses. As no password or login information is required to view ClevelandBradleyBusiness.com, statistics show the site is accessed frequently by local consumers looking for a new place to eat or a place to shop.


Publisher - Editor Pete Edwards says he owes all the popularity and respect the newspaper has received over the years to it's contributing writers and columnists. "Without the hard work and dedication of these exceptional individuals, The People News would not have achieved the success and reader support it enjoys today."

For absolutely no monetary compensation, just a love for writing and yearning to "give back" something to the community.  Many times they do not even get to hear all the good, positive feed back received at the office or when out distributing the paper. It is surprising how many people say that they pick up an extra copy to send to a friend or relative in another state. Although everyone seems to have their favorite page, many say they read the paper cover to cover and much of what you read is contributed by the readers themselves.

Writers Mel Griffith, Joe Kirkpatrick, and June Griffin appeared in the very first issue of The People News and are still with us today. Just recently JB Griffin found that his fast growing family and business commitments  made it impossible for him to continue submitting his column "Car Talk." He and his wife Stacy were also featured in the first issue with their column "Old Soldiers Never Die." 

Subsequent issues introduced B.J Armstrong, JC Bowman, Jennifer Bowman, Toneeke Henderson, Jerry Keys, Joel Lawler, Pauline Murphy, Cecil Owen, Pettus Read, Ned Hickson, and our most recent featured writer, Linda Moore. To all the readers who  appreciate the content of The People News, the above writers are really the ones to thank when you see them around town. Some can also be contacted via the e-mail address published at the end of their article and on the website. Feedback positive or otherwise is always appreciated.


While reading the next issue of The People News, please consider that if it wasn't for our supportive advertisers, many of which have been with us for the entire nine years, the above writers would not have been given the opportunity to express themselves. Thanking those advertisers by doing business with them is the best way to show your appreciation for the content of the paper.

Thank you, readers, writers and advertisers for an interesting and enjoyable nine years.
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