Mount Pleasant Magazine Sept/Oct 2014

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50Year Anniversaries
The Moultrie News
A Half Century of Pleasant Surprises
Just about everyone who Moves
“from off” to the communities East of the
Cooper has encountered a pleasant surprise.
Once each week, a newspaper chock-full
of local news, information, opinion and
entertainment arrives on their doorstep – for
free. This has been
going on in Mount Pleasant, the
Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island
and Daniel Island for the past
half century.
With its government and
political articles, comprehensive
school
happenings
and sports, recreation and other
activities rosters and wildly
popular and always humorous
Police Blotter, the Moultrie,
as it’s commonly known, has
grown and matured from what
began as little more than an
advertising circular to become
the newspaper of record for the
nearly 90,000 people living east
of the Cooper River.
According to Mount
Pleasant Mayor Linda Page,
The Moultrie News has always
been an important part of the
community.
“It’s how we keep in touch
with our neighbors, advertise
our businesses and applaud the
accomplishments of our citizens.
I think it is even more important
today as the communities East of
the Cooper grow,” she said.
News of the Moultrie’s 50th
birthday has even reached the state capital in Columbia,
where Gov. Nikki Haley observed, “We are excited to
congratulate the Moultrie News as they celebrate their 50th
anniversary. The service they provide for the people of East
By BILL FarLey
Cooper is so important, and the fact that they have been
doing it for so long is a testament to their commitment
and value to the community. Here’s to the next 50.”
In a 2014 media mix in which digital technology
threatens to surpass the printed word, just how has this
modest newspaper managed to grow and remain successful?
Editor Sully Witte, who took the job in 2007 and has
held it longer than any of her predecessors, said that while
“digital is becoming the new normal, and our Web presence
is becoming a larger portion of our media mix, the print
Charlie Diggle was an early publisher of the Moultrie News. Photo courtesy of Moultrie News.