Comments on: New daily starts up in Liberal, Kansas

By: Another Former Times Employee

Another Former Times Employee — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:13:00 +0000

I’m also a former employee of the Southwest Daily Times and worked with Earl Watt for a number of years, albeit before he became publisher.

All new business ventures, particularly publications, have a rough and somewhat shaky time when they first start.

Regardless of what you may think of Earl or his ability to manage, a town with a population of more than 20,000 NEEDS a daily printed newspaper, plain and simple. 2 or even 3 days a week does not cut it. Not one bit.

Earl did the right thing. The Southwest Daily Times wont be around much longer at the rate they’re going, that’s a fact.

Keep up the good work, Earl.

By: Donald Small III

Donald Small III — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:31:31 +0000

As a current resident of liberal i believe that this is the best thing that has happened to this town. I could not believe that the times was bought out by lancaster and was actually DOING what that company was telling them to do. me personally would have told them i’d rather die than do that to my community, but a new newspaper is better than that :P. hopefully this one wont be as biased and one sided as the times. that was an ongoing problem. I do like the fact that all of the people i knew from the times are now working for the leader and actually reporting the news (what little of it there is) like they should.

GOOD JOB MAN!

By: Debra

Debra — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:18:58 +0000

While Earl Watt was in charge at the SWDT, and Larry Phillips was the editor, I called to ask why, what I thought was a significant news item (a helicopter crash resulting in a death of one of the life team members) was not reported. I was just curious, and asked nicely, but Larry Phillips SCREAMED at me, like a psycho! That was an ongoing problem at the Times. Even when it was a daily paper, news was reported several days after the fact, after it had spread by word of mouth and been reported on the radio and by the Hutchinson News!

By: jessica

jessica — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:07:12 +0000

i would really like to know what the website is for the new newspaper i am really needing the garage sale listing and they seem to be better at it then the times is. thank you

By: Former Times

Former Times — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:42:09 +0000

As a former Times employee, I must say, sir that I appreciate your dedication to freedom of speech. However, in interest of fairness, perhaps you should ask why a number of good employees left the Times when Mr. Watt was in charge? Also, you should take pity on those who followed him who were scared enough about possibly not having a job that they left with him - believing in nothing more than a pipe dream.

By: sheryl

sheryl — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:34:06 +0000

I have watched with great frustration how the swdtimes web site has changed, not to the best I might add. I know longer live in Liberal but still have ties to it. Sure would be nice to read the local happenings and news. Since the day this paper was no longer owned and by local people it has sadly gone to pot. Guess I will read the Hutchinson News to find out any thing.

By: Cole

Cole — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:58:22 +0000

I’m a Liberal resident who bought a subscription to the new paper for the school I work at. This is the first time I’ve ever purchased a subscription to any paper. I wanted to support Earl in his new effort.

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:38:27 +0000

Arnold …

For all its lack of content, the Southwest Used-To-Be-Daily Times looks a thousand times better than most of the other Lancaster web sites, which have designs held over from 1995.

By: Arnold

Arnold — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:12:31 +0000

As a former subscriber of The Times, I am happy that there is now a daily newspaper in Liberal.

Where did the owners of The Times learn that to increase profits, you cut back on service! Maybe that’s the way it works in the newspaper business, but in other businesses things don’t work that way.

The web site is terrible, looks like it was designed by a grade school student, except that possibly a grade school student would do a better design.