By Shawn Larson
About a year ago, my wife and I began praying and considering how we could move closer to her family and be of help. Her mother had become the full-time caregiver for her elderly grandmother in Bullard, and with two sons managing Type 1 diabetes and our youngest soon attending YWAM Tyler, it felt like the right time to draw near.
Six months later, I was driving down Highway 69 when I noticed something unusual: a billboard featuring the top students in the area. My first thought was, Why isn’t this in the local newspaper? That small question led to a big discovery—and it broke my heart.
I found out that Bullard and many surrounding East Texas communities had lost their hometown newspaper back in 2018.
That moment planted a seed.
By the end of the year, I began researching what it would take to start a newspaper—not just to report the news, but to serve as a unifying voice and trusted resource. But I knew it couldn’t be done the old-fashioned way. To truly serve our community, we had to think forward: build a hybrid model that integrates print, digital, and social media from the ground up. And we’d need to stretch beyond just one community to serve other nearby towns without local news coverage.
In January, I resigned from the Cass County paper I had led for six years and began building relationships with local leaders throughout Bullard, Troup, Whitehouse, Flint, and beyond.
Though I’ve worn many hats in media—web designer, social media strategist, SEO specialist—I’ve always loved newspapers. I still remember delivering them door to door in Colorado as a kid, reading the front page, flipping straight to the comics and sports section. I never expected to find myself running a newspaper, but that changed in 2013 when I took over a small-town paper in Hoxie, Kansas. What started as a surprise opportunity became a calling.
In Hoxie, I was welcomed by a supportive community and an incredible team. After three wonderful years there, my wife and I made the move to Texas. I briefly worked at the Sealy News before returning to digital work. Then in 2019, I was approached by a major newspaper group to oversee two long-standing papers in Cass County. Amid the pandemic, I helped merge those 150-year-old papers into one and led it for six years, forming deep relationships with readers, advertisers, and community leaders. My wife also played a vital role, working as a teacher and bus driver while we raised our family.
Now, it’s time to bring that same spirit to the new communities we plan to serve. The hope is to provide news and other services to Whitehouse, Bullard, Troup, Flint, Noonday, Frankston, Coffee City and South Tyler around Loop 49 and those towns in between.
In May, ETX Bell will officially launch as a digital-first newspaper, followed shortly by our print edition. But to make this vision a reality, we need your help.
We’re seeking:
- 500 Founding Subscribers to unlock bulk mail distribution
- Advertising Partners who want to connect with loyal, local readers
Founding Members will receive $20 off their subscription and special future perks. You can sign up at etxbell.com/subscribe-now or reach out to advertise at sales@etxhometownmedia.com.
We expect our first print run to distribute around 3,000 copies to key locations—local restaurants, shops, convenience stores, and community hubs.
To help us fuse the best of legacy media with modern digital strategy, my oldest son Joshua Larson—a Meta Certified media marketing specialist—has come on board. He’s building a media management company, ETX Bloom, to support local businesses with their digital presence and to serve as a valuable resource for our future advertisers.
This is more than just news. It’s about restoring connections, rebuilding trust, and giving this part of Texas a voice again.
We’re honored to walk this journey with you.
Let’s bring the community back to the community—together
Special Thanks
As a final note, we’d like to sincerely thank Justin with Gismo for his helpful collaboration and input on technology infrastructure and other ideas. His friendship has been greatly appreciated during this process. While not officially affiliated with ETX Bell/ETX Hometown Media, we personally recommend his business for those in need of brand rebuilding and creative support. Hopefully we can collaborate and work together more in the future.
