S7:E7 | Bonnie Rutledge

Bonnie Rutledge didn’t know where she saw herself professionally, but staying in her small town of 800 people to run a local newspaper was the furthest idea from her mind.

Bonnie grew up in the small town of Jewett, Ohio, went to a private Christian high school, and accepted Christ at a young age. She was eager to begin her college years at Cedarville University when she enrolled in 2016. 

While at Cedarville, Bonnie majored in professional writing and information design. When looking for an internship, Bonnie decided to stay in her hometown, taking the only opportunity she could find — a small-town newspaper. Bonnie begged them to let her work for free, and she soon fell in love with local news and the community that surrounds it. 

After graduating, getting married, and settling down in her hometown, Bonnie took a job as a fifth-12th grade English teacher and realized just how uninformed her students were about their hometown. She began to see the need in the community for fair and unbiased news.

After turning down the offer multiple times, Bonnie decided to buy her hometown newspaper, the Harrison News Herald. Bonnie strongly believes newspapers have not died yet, and she works tirelessly with her team to reach her readers, bringing the community together through delivering the local news.