I consider myself very fortunate to do what I get to do each and every day. I love it! It’s a part of me. And I don’t keep that a secret. Over the years, I’ve shared my feelings many times in my columns.
Speaking of those newspaper columns—having the opportunity to share, from my personal perspective, the many positive events and the tremendous, exponential growth happening across our region is a privilege I take seriously and treasure deeply. I consider it an honor.
I sincerely appreciate the kind and supportive words of encouragement from so many of you in our readership. Whether I see you in public, receive your emails, or get your calls, it means a lot when something I’ve written touches or inspires you. Again—and I believe I speak for our entire staff when I say this—we are truly privileged and deeply blessed to do what we do every day as your hometown newspaper for Webster Parish.
Truthfully, it’s not always easy. Sometimes, it’s quite challenging. But it’s a calling. It’s a commitment. And we are fully committed to this community and to you—our loyal readers and advertisers.
That said, nearly every day brings something new, fun, and exciting. We’re able to attend so many incredible events and tell so many inspiring stories. Two weeks from today—on July 3, 2025—I’ll celebrate 24 years with Specht Newspapers. Wow. Twenty-four years! Can that really be true? Time has passed so quickly—and I’ve always believed that’s how it should be when you truly enjoy what you do.
Since I was about 10 or 12 years old, working for my dad, I’ve believed that a job isn’t just a job. When you truly enjoy what you do, it’s not work.
Again, I love what I do as part of the this newspaper. And I feel immensely blessed and extremely fortunate to do this work every single day. Over the past 24 years, I’ve met so many amazing and inspiring people, and I’ve had the privilege of working with some incredibly talented team members. What a privilege. What an honor.
And in about six weeks—on Aug. 1, 2025—I’ll celebrate my 11th year as publisher of the Bossier Press-Tribune, our sister newspaper. Again, wow. Has it really been 11 years? I often reflect on how much my life, our industry, and our world have changed in these 24 years. And recently, I’ve been thinking about how much has changed just in the past 11 years since I became publisher of the Bossier Press-Tribune.
Change, whether we like it or not, is inevitable. It’s constant. But one thing that never changes is our commitment to you—our readers and our advertisers.
As I now step into my 25th year at this company—and soon into my 12th year as publisher—I can say with certainty, on behalf of myself and our entire staff, that we remain fully committed to bringing you the news, sports, and stories of the events that shape life in this community each and every day.
It’s our mission. It’s our passion. It’s our life. It’s what we do. And I’m one lucky guy with a front-row seat to all the truly great and amazing things happening locally.
Randy Brown is Executive Vice President of Specht Newspapers, Inc., and publisher of the Minden Press-Herald.