Today we’d like to introduce you to Rod Lewis.
Hi Rod, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started in rural Illinois in a home that burned wood for heat in the winter and no running water. I worked on the school newspaper and enjoyed it. when I went to Jr. college I started on the paper as a reporter and before the semester was over I was the entertainment editor and the sports editor. I had several jobs before I became a reporter for the Lake Placid Journal in Lake Placid, Florida. I found my niché. I also worked for the Highlands Sun Times before moving to Texas in 2019. The local paper was going out of business when I move in the area, so I waited until someone would start a paper so I could work for them. After several years, my brother asked me what I was waiting on. I started the Burleson News-Express in January 2025, and started growing it in January 2026. There are 1500 copies of the paper going out every week. it is a good start and I look for continued growth.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No. Since I started the paper it has been a challenge. For the first year, I was working full time at a superstore and I had no time or energy to try to start something new. The finances were a major challenge. I went part time at the store so that I could have more time to devote to the paper. I have three days to work on the paper, but now I have about sixty percent of the cash that I had. My brother, Ken and our family friend Jennifer has been a huge help, they help putting the papers out and other areas where they can. Ken has even written a story or two to help, as well as providing the capital for most of the publishing expenses. it has also been a struggle getting the books together, this is my first time doing all of the things that are necessary and I am still learning how to do the financial aspect. I have a program that helps with the books. I am looking to get into the “big box” stores, but it is a process. I am also struggling to get things like obituaries and other areas started, but I believe they will come.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am doing the writing, layout, getting ads, finding places to put the papers, and I do some delivery. We specialize in local news, nothing national, nothing world, just local news, features, and other town related issues. We are different than others because we are starting out in print. We are not doing digital right now, we think there is a need for print news in our society. We are proud of being the only one in town that one can take a cutting out of the paper and paste it to your refrigerator. We report the news, we don’t make the news.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was quiet and shy growing up, I had an interest in writing, but I was also active in music. I played the Saxophone and sang in choir. When I was at John Wood Community College I was the president of the fine arts club and was awarded the musician of the year. One quality I always had was that I wanted to know…everything. I always liked to learn and still do. I have eclectic interests including, writing, photography, flying the drone, swimming, sports, I played water polo in college. I was a landscape area supervisor for a college and I still like to play in the garden. My personality has changed some, I am sometimes loud and like to make people laugh. My humor is geared toward words and imitations.
Pricing:
- We are giving the paper free right now, but one can get a subscription for basically the cost of production and postage
