Letter from Publisher

April 2010

Dear Potential Advertiser,

I am pleased to inform you that the Chestertown Spy is officially open for business.  Since we went public with the Spy on June 3, 2009 we have had over 25,000 unique visitors (computer IP one-time counts), who have come to the site 95,000 times, viewed 322,000 pages of content, and watched over 3,000 video clips.  Given that our market population, which we consider to be the greater Chestertown community, is approximately 8,000, we believe these are exceptionally strong results, clear and impressive evidence that the Chestertown Spy has quickly become an integral part of everyday life for many people in the area.  Additionally, 20% of our viewers live outside the area, a healthy indication of how much interest there is in Chestertown.

While the arguments for advertising with the Spy are compelling from a business point of view, I also want to highlight a few things that go beyond the traffic data:

• The Chestertown Spy was created to be a community asset, using the full power of the internet to provide up-to-the-day local news coverage, promote citizenship, and create a forum for more thoughtful conversations about regional concerns.
  ss
• We are not a blog.  The Spy is directed and staffed by professional journalists with exceptionally high standards for accurate reporting and fairness.
  ss
• The Spy is locally owned and engaged.  The Chestertown Spy is active in the community through philanthropy, special event promotion on the website, Spy-sponsored community programs, and 50% discounts for non-profit advertising.  The Spy is a member of the Kent County Chamber of Commerce.
  dd
• Finally, while the Chestertown Spy does not turn its back on controversy, our primary mission is to celebrate and protect one of the most uniquely authentic communities left in the United States.

Thank you for considering the Chestertown Spy in your marketing plans.

dd

Dave Wheelan
Publisher