Member Profile: The Weekly Press and the University City Review

story by Dwight Bitikofer When Robert Christian arrived in Philadelphia from New York City in the mid-1980s, it was to pursue studies at the Reformed Episcopal Theological Seminary. But just a couple of years later, he felt a higher calling made possible by Macintosh computers and laser printers - something new called "desktop publishing." He brought with him experience in real estate management, freelance writing, a young family who needed food on the table and an able wife, Claudia, who quickly learned to sell advertising. Christian also brought a family genealogy that included blood relation to showman P.T. Barnum, who published a weekly newspaper in Danbury, Conn. in the 1820s. "In a moment of madness, we started a free paper," said Christian. In 1988, the University City Review began publishing in West Philadelphia. It started as a monthly, but grew to a weekly paper within a year. Around 1990, the Christians expanded to Philadelphia's Center City neighborhood. That paper is now called The Weekly Press. Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods. The Christians' two publications reflect the arts, culture and issues of the communities they serve. University City, where the Review circulates, is home to the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and the Philadelphia University of the Sciences. It is a diverse environment of brownstone row houses, galleries and cafes. News issues often include the inevitable frictions that occur between institutions and their residential neighbors. The Weekly Press covers Center City between the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers. Included are upscale, historic neighborhoods of 18th century homes such as Rittenhouse Square and Society Hill. News issues include conflicts between preservationists and the economic pressures to develop new condo projects. The importance of the papers' community role became clear early on. A story was published about a historic Carnegie library that the University of Pennsylvania wanted to quietly tear down for construction of a parking garage. The resulting publicity and community reaction caused the university to back off. The library was saved and has since been restored. "We give people a sense of place," Christian said of the papers' community role. High profile activities for the papers in their communities include work with the twice-yearly Rittenhouse Square Arts Show and a community directory that the paper produces for the University City district. A new project with a West Philadelphia public radio station will feature the papers each Thursday morning. Christian and publisher's assistant Nicole Contosta will produce the hour-long show. It will include discussion of news stories from the papers, a community calendar and interviews with community newsmakers. The papers come out each Wednesday. They are home and bulk delivered. Each paper has a distribution of 15,000. Page counts vary from 16 to 24. The papers have a news hole of about 40 percent. Over 50 percent of content is shared between the two editions. Robert "Bob" and Claudia Christian are the only full-time employees. Robert is editor and publisher. He is in charge of the product and promotion of the papers in their communities. Claudia is associate publisher. She also sells advertising and oversees the sales staff of two. She writes restaurant reviews too. Robert calls her "the mainstay of our business." In addition to the sales persons, there is a graphics person, a bookkeeper and a publisher's assistant. The Christians also edit and publish a monthly newsletter for The Homeowners Association of Philadelphia - HAPCO. The papers recently received a grant from the Philadelphia Merchants Fund to buy video equipment. The Christians plan to upgrade the Web sites for the papers and begin to feature video news coverage. The current Web sites feature page-by-page reproductions of current paper editions. Hyperlinks are available for advertisers. Christian's view of the future is one of guarded optimism. "I am seeing the paper continuing in the near future - at least the next 10 years," said Robert Christian. "We can't know the extent of the coming changes in technology. As publishers, we know it may not always be linked to papers. Ten or 15 years ago we could not have predicted the Internet as it is now." "Younger people are not picking up papers and reading them," he lamented. The Christians have three grown daughters. Robert noted that none of them read print versions of newspapers. Oldest daughter, Caroline, operates a successful Philadelphia restaurant called Kanella with her husband, Konstantinos. Middle daughter Lucinda runs her own business and plans to work on a doctorate degree soon. Youngest, Alexandra is finishing up her degree at Virginia Tech. The Christians live in an 1885 row house in University City. It is only four blocks from the office. It houses Bob Christian's collections of old cameras, of stamps, postcards, books and a library of record albums. They enjoy urban pleasures including dining, films, reading and working out. They are active in their Episcopal church, where Robert serves on the board of directors. He is also the media member of an "intellectual education institution" called The Wynnewood Institute. Wynnewood produces programs and workshops on political and economic issues; it proclaims itself a promoter of Western civilization and free society with free markets. The Christians also enjoy travel. Claudia's family is from England, so there have been trips to family events there. Daughter Caroline was married on the island of Cypress. Robert is a certified scuba diver. Bermuda and Key West are favorite locations. Christian calls the local economy "muddled and mixed." "We fight it out in the trenches every week, lurching our way forward," he said. Responses to the economic downturn have included moving to a less expensive office and doing more things themselves that they may have previously jobbed to employees or independent contractors. The Christians have been active in the free paper industry especially with Mid-Atlantic Community Paper Association (MACPA). Bob Christian is a past president and a current board member of MACPA. He has attended the last two IFPA annual conferences in Seattle and Chicago and hopes to become more involved with IFPA. "These organizations are incredibly necessary," said Christian. "We are in such an era of change. We cannot afford not to pool resources and associations are the window that enables us to keep track of what is going on in our industry." Writer Dwight Bitikofer is an IFPA director and publishes Webster-Kirkwood Times and South County Times newspapers in suburban St. Louis.