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Interview with 

Charlotte Sistrun, 

Creator of Wynnefield West Digest and 

LEAP-MD

A story about publishing a grassroots community newspaper and operating a non-profit organization back in the day:   history, purpose, struggles, and accomplishments.

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More details are chronicled in each issue of the Wynnefield West Digest.



Question:

When and why did you start the Wynnefield West Digest?

Answer:

It was 1976. I had just moved to the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia with  2 daughters to raise and another on the way. There was very little information in one place regarding what was going on in the community. So several years later I decided to fill that void by publishing a community newspaper. 


This was before computers, before social media, before cell phones, and all the other methods of communication that we now have as a way of life. 


Publishing a grassroots community newspaper in the 1980s was insane. What was I thinking?

Question:

Why do you say that? Was  it difficult?

Answer:

The strategy seemed so simple. I made friends with the neighborhood association, The Wynnefield Residents Association, and told the board of directors about my plan. They welcomed me with open arms, allowing me to use their facility, The John Anderson Cultural Center, as the base for the newspaper. 


1983.  That’s when the Wynnefield West Edition was born. The agreement was that I would publish their news and all that they were doing. I would lay out the  content and photos on 11x17 pages specifically designed for newspapers and take it to a printer for publication. What I didn't factor in was that funds had to be secured to pay for printing and distribution, and that  my services would be volunteer.

Question:

What did it take for you to start the newspaper?

Answer:

My initial tools were a typewriter, a camera, self-taught graphic design skills, an inquisitive mind, and a goal of sharing what was going on with other neighbors. In those days, the photos had to be developed with chemicals and processed into halftones before they could be printed. I subcontracted those photography services. Once everything was laid out, I would take the pages to an offset printer who would run the papers off on a special press.


When the word got around that there was a newspaper in town, people, organizations and businesses started sending in press releases, news and photos about what they were doing. Some would call me numerous times and send flowers and gifts to make sure I would publish their stories. I expanded the newspaper, changed the name to Wynnefield West Digest, incorporated it under Urban Pride, and moved the publication to another office in Wynnefield, serving 60,000 readers in the Wynnefield and surrounding West Philadelphia areas.


The support of family, friends, associates and those who believed in the purpose was key.  One such individual was Edelene Carroll, a neighbor and friend who was by my side almost from the beginning of this journey - through the tears and the cheers.  She continues to be a dear friend to this day.


Another long-time supporter was the late Alfred Turner, who helped with graphic design and layout for many of the publications.  

Question:

How did the Literacy Enrichment Achievement Program (LEAP-MD) come about?

Answer:

Wynnefield West Digest's relationship with the schools ​continued to grow. The students became part of a Youth Correspondents Network (YCN). This evolved into the creation of a  literacy program to motivate, direct and develop urban youth to write and illustrate their thoughts. 


Thus began the Literacy Enrichment Achievement Program, Motivation & Direction (LEAP-MD). Students who never had anything published were now in the newspaper! 


We were initially able to solicit and receive funding as a non-profit organization by establishing fiduciary relationships with the Philadelphia Refugee Service Center and the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Council.  With the guidance of Dorothy Pinkett, president of the LEAP Board of Directors, LEAP eventually obtained its own 501 (c)(3) non-profit status. Every summer from 1991-1994, the Private Industry Council in Philadelphia would provide funds for a 6-week program for staffing and stipends for  participating youth ages 14-18.


Temple University (1991-1992) and the University of Pennsylvania (1993-1994) provided summer program classroom space. The students received desktop publishing lessons, communications mentoring and reading and writing training. They interviewed prominent individuals in the community, wrote about issues facing teenagers such as drugs, sex, confidence, bullying, and violence. The students also identified their goals and what they wanted to be in life.  Each six-week session ended with their personal profiles, essays and art being featured in a special edition of the Wynnefield West Digest.



LEAP Youth Correspondents Interviewed  Movers and Shakers

Pictured below:  former Mayor Wilson Goode and former Eagles quarterback, Randall Cunningham

Charlotte Sistrun, Wynnefield West Digest, Mayor Wilson Goode, Youth Correspondents Network, Literacy Enrichment Achievement Program, LEAP-MD

Question:

What were the benefits of publishing a community newspaper? 

Answer:

It allowed us to go places where we would never have been able to go – behind the scenes, in locker rooms, to events where the press was invited. It allowed us to interview the movers and shakers – including political candidates and other leaders. The newspaper captured news that otherwise would have gone unnoticed or unreported. It allowed young people, who are now adults, an opportunity to voice their opinions, showcase their talent and to have something they can show future generations.

Wynnefield West Digest, Literacy Enrichment Achievement Program, Youth Correspondents, LEAP-MD, Wynnefield Public Schools, Randall Cunningham

Question:

Would you do it over again?

Yes, I would do it all over again. However, in today’s world, much of the methodology of the 1980s and 1990s is obsolete. The internet provides an opportunity for anyone who has a computer to connect to the entire world digitally through social media. And this can be done with very little overhead or financial investment. 


 Some things remain the same. Regardless of the medium, you still must have the ability to communicate and relate to your audience...with a plan and perseverance.


Challenge:  Finances

Question:

What were some of the challenges you faced?


Answer:

The main challenge for both the Wynnefield West Digest and LEAP was securing adequate funding. The paper was free to the community. However, finances were necessary to print and distribute a newspaper, which meant advertising had to be sold. It takes skill and patience to convince businesses and individuals who had things to sell that Wynnefield West Digest could reach their consumers. And then the money had to be collected. Sometimes the finances weren’t secured until the day the paper went to press.


Funding for the non-profit LEAP was obtained through submitting RFPs to secure grants and contributions from benefactors who believed in your cause. When the funding priorities shifted or funds dried up, there were no more finances.

Challenge:  Attitudes

Publishing a newspaper has its own unique obstacles. People can be overbearing to get their article published. Once, we were threatened because we didn’t publish a story. 


Distribution was challenging. We hired a distributor to hand-deliver the newspapers to residents of the community and to drop-off points such as stores and organizations. One day we decided to check on the distribution and found out that they weren’t really delivering all the newspapers they were being paid to deliver, and were actually throwing bundles of the papers in the trash. Of course, we hired another distributor.

Challenge:  Competition

Another challenge was competition began to crop up. Instead of helping the paper grow, several men felt that if a woman with three young children could do it, they could do it. They began contacting our advertising and undercutting the ad prices. One even told several of our advertisers that he were going to put us out of business in two years. 


This challenge created an opportunity to establish uniqueness. I noticed that after students did their homework – whether it was a writing or art assignment, some would get good grades. But eventually their projects would be thrown away. So I went to the schools in the area and asked them to submit their students’ best work to Wynnefield West Digest for publication. 

Challenge:  New Technology

Around the mid 1980s, a computer company contacted me trying to sell a computerized desktop publishing system - a new way of laying out a newspaper. The representative came in and gave a demonstration. We purchased the computer for $13,000 (a comparable computer in the 21st century is less than $5,000.). 


This was before any of the other major newspapers had caught on to this process and required learning a new skill. It took me at least 6 months to figure it out (what buttons to push, QuarkXpress software), often sweating bullets, computer crashes, losing material and having to re-do the newspaper time after time.


So we were a forerunner to the new technology;  soon after, other newspapers converted to desktop publishing and have never looked back.  

The Evolution of a Publisher


Charlotte Sistrun - Then



Charlotte Sistrun - Now



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