James J. Brodell / Sharon Brodell
My wife, Sharon, was under firm instructions to shoot me if I ever tried to start a newspaper again. Alas, her pistol misfired, so here we are approaching 17 years of running an English-language newspaper on foreign soil, surrounded by Runyonesque characters. We want to share what we have learned about publication startups and finances. There’s a good bet that I am a tad Runyonesque myself. Working in Kafkalandia does that. Tourists see Costa Rica as endless beaches, happy monkeys and a tall, cold glass sporting a little umbrella. I see Costa Rica as a continual challenge to my 53 years of newspapering. Sharon simply is called the long-suffering wife. But readers do not have to go to foreign climes to create their own publication. There are plenty of opportunities in their own neighborhoods and the internet gives them access to the world from anywhere. We encourage the use of simple website design without a big investment up front. We encourage honest reporting and photography on a regular basis, be it daily or weekly. We strongly encourage the capitalistic approach. Make at least enough money to cover expenses and transportation plus something to make the effort worthwhile.
