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Now in our 20th year!

The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How long has The Reporter been in business?

A. We are approaching our 20th year in serving the Lake of the Ozarks.

Q. Are you owned by any of the other lake area newspapers?

A. No. We are independently owned.

Q. Who is this Jack Krier and does he own the paper?

A. Jack has been a contributor to this newspaper almost from the beginning of its existence. He has been in the newspaper business for many, many years. He currently owns a number of newspapers in Kansas and Missouri. He does not own The Reporter.

Q. If he doesn’t own it, then who does?

A. The Reporter and The Ozark Freebee are owned by Reporter Publishing LLC, a company that is locally and solely owned by Publisher Dale Johnson.

Q. Is your newspaper Democrat or Republican?

A. Believe it or not that very question is asked by many people including the Missouri Press Association (which we are members of). Our answer is neither. Though there is a conservative slant in our editorials and in certain columns, we are not a Republican or Democrat paper. We make a concerted effort to give unbiased and fair reporting on news around the lake area.

Q. You seem to always have a column by U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer. Are you fans/supporters of him?

A. Rep. Luetkemeyer sends us a column on a consistent basis and usually has some good information we share with those interested in Washington affairs. Many times his column goes in because it fits available space.

Q. I don’t like the opinions on the Opinion page, will you change them?

A. No. The Opinion page is just that – an opinion. All editorial pages in all newspapers are simple one person’s opinion. The writers of those opinions are, in many cases, no more qualified than the average person. Experience or employment situations (elected official for instance) may be to an advantage in their opinions, and maybe not. Those with opposing viewpoints are welcome to write a letter to the editor. Letters can be sent by regular mail or by email and require a name and telephone number for verification. Slanderous and defamatory letters will be rejected and letters may be edited for length, if necessary. The other alternative is to not read that one page of the paper.

Q. Your website doesn’t have a place to leave comments, why not?

A. We’ve noticed that the newspapers that allow anonymous comments end up with a large number of those commentators cutting people down, accusing people or simply arguing and “go off” on an individual. Constructive criticism in online comments is few and far between. It gives someone a forum to say anything they want anonymously with no recriminations. In the end, the newspaper is responsible for those comments left online. The Reporter will not be offering online comments. Opposing viewpoints can be expressed in a letter to the editor (see above question for more information on sending a letter to the editor).

Q. Do you place your entire newspaper online?

A. No. The bottom line is this is a business and we attempt to make a profit so if we place our entire newspaper online then there is no reason for people to subscribe to it or to buy it. Some of the things we don’t include online are: The Town Crier, History’s Corner, Positively Beautiful, The Bible Says, Outdoors, Farm & Garden, Business, Savvy Senior among others. All of this can be found in the print edition.

Q. Can I send you an editorial?

A. No. However, if you wish to state an opinion you can send a letter to the editor. Editorials are printed only from certain individuals.

Q. Can I buy you out so that I can own the newspaper?

A. The Reporter is not currently on the market for purchase, but if someone were to give us a very large bag of large denomination bills (and we mean LARGE bag) then yes, they could own it.