Mission:
“The Yadkin Valley Information Leader”
To educate, inform, and entertain the citizens of the Yadkin Valley by offering news in multiple formats. Working as the leading media outlet in the area, we will work to be a watchdog for the taxpayer, provide community-oriented news, and accurately reflect the occurrences within the community. To do so, we will offer our customers a wide variety of strong advertising venues to boost the local economy. Both the news and advertising will be cutting edge and new, and at the same time we will be responsible and involved members of the local community.”
The Tribune has been serving the Tri-County Area since 1911 and publishes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Our intent is to provide quality news, sports and feature coverage plus quality advertising products to the community. We believe in the importance of our community and our neighbors and value them.
The company is owned by Heartland Publications LLC and is managed by local people who live, shop, and volunteer in our community.
(336) 835-1513
elkeditor@heartlandpublications.com
www.elkintribune.com
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
For about 100 years, The Elkin Tribune has served the people of Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties as their primary source of news.
The Tribune's history started when brothers W.E. And Grady Nichols began a small printing shop, which would eventually become the parent company of The Tribune.
The first edition of The Weekly Informer, The Tribune's predecessor, was published on March 17, 1912. Before long, the paper grew from having only four pages to having 10 pages.
The paper then became The Elkin Tribune, and it then began expanding its coverage from just Surry County to also include portions of Wilkes and Yadkin counties.
1920 – Nichols brothers sell paper to Joseph Carter and Raleigh Harmon. Newspaper changes name from Elkin Tribune to Renfro Record.
1922 – Grady Nichols purchases paper back and renames it The Elkin Tribune.
1926 – Harvey Laffoon becomes publisher and editor of The Elkin Tribune.
1960 – The Town of Elkin recognizes Laffoon and his staff by declaring a special day in honor of his efforts: Oct. 29, 1960.
1964 – Roy Russell's “Elkin Tribune March” is composed in honor of The Tribune.
1968 – Laffoon sells The Tribune, and Tom Fleming of Spartanburg becomes The Tribune's editor and publisher.
1969 – R. Fletcher “Rebel” Good IV becomes the Tribune's youngest editor at age 21.
1978 – Good becomes The Tribune's publisher.
1997 – The Tribune launches its first online edition.
2001 – Good becomes publisher of The Enterprise of Yadkinville.
2002 – Good becomes publisher of The Yadkin Ripple.
2007 – Mid-South Management Company Inc. sells The Tribune to Heartland Publications, and Good leaves his position after 37 years as publisher and editor.
Today, the Tribune continues to print on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. It has about 17,000 unique visitors in addition to the approximately 10,000 readers of the print version.
