The newspaper in Wright County is once again locally owned and operated.
On Friday, April 24, Publisher Ron Schott, who moved to Mountain Grove when he joined Wright County Publishing in June 2019, completed the purchase of the Wright County Journal from Dalton Wright, who is the longtime owner of Lebanon Publishing Company.
For Schott, the purchase of the local newspaper is a dream come true for the 20-year newspaper veteran.
“I started my journey in the newspaper industry as a freelance writer 20 years ago just trying to make a couple of extra bucks to provide for my family,” he said. “Two decades of hard work and working countless hours with God’s help, led me to what happened last Friday. I’m forever grateful and humbled to be in this position. I wouldn’t be here if it were not for God opening up the doors necessary to make this dream a reality. Back in November, He gave me a peace about pursuing the possibility of purchasing the newspaper. I asked God that if He wanted this to happen, I needed Him to grab me by the hand and knock down one door after another. I also asked for Him to shut the door in my face if this was not what He wanted. He apparently had a plan all along and I’m thankful for what He has done.”
Schott says his strong staff
will remain intact.
It features multimedia advertising consultant Alonda Jones, office manager Mary Mabe and Barbara Moore, who takes care of newspaper delivery.
As for the newspaper, which became the Wright County Journal after the COVID-19 pandemic led to the merger of the Mountain Grove News-Journal and Mansfield Mirror, there will remain a focus on providing hyper-local coverage countywide.
“I have personally received a lot of compliments for our newspaper product over the past year,” Schott noted. “While I’m grateful for those comments and for how far the newspaper has come in a short time, I also know there are areas in which we can improve. That will be my main focus after I get through a transitional period during this next month.”
Schott takes ownership of the newspaper with his wife of 19 years, Kristy Schott (Forman).
Joining them in this newspaper venture are their children, who include the couple’s adopted son, Dylan (20); son, Isaiah (16); son, Josiah (13); and daughter, Lydia (7).
The family attends Emmanuel Baptist Church in Mountain Grove, where Ron serves as a Deacon and Youth Leader.
“I’m thankful I get to ensure that Wright County, once again, has a locally owned and operated newspaper,” Schott said.
“It really is the best scenario for newspapers and the communities they serve. My staff will continue to assist residents and businesses in any way that we can while remaining focused on documenting history with our printed product. We understand the important role that we play in recording history and look forward to providing this needed service for many more years to come.”
