A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to speak at our local Kiwanis Club meeting. As I was debating on what it was I was going to talk about, the thing that I ultimately settled on was how the media landscape has changed and how we have had to change with it.

While I tried to cram as much into the time I had, it was evident that there was no way to be able to cover everything — which, coincidently, is an ongoing struggle that myself, and our staff, constantly deal with. Let me explain.

Whether you are new to Tahoe, have lived here 30 to 40 years, or are just visiting, when you think of the Tahoe Tribune the word association is “newspaper.” That word has a stigma that is attached to it, for better or for worse.

The truth of the matter is, we see that word as a printed publication that contains our content and reaches a specific audience. Some people only read the printed version. Some people don’t read the printed version at all and instead opt to read us online, either on their desktop or on their mobile device. Some people only read our content if it comes through their social feeds.

The point is the “newspaper” is only one way that we try to connect the content we produce with audiences that surround us — the key word here being “connect.” Multi-platform media companies need to be nimble in today’s society. People who want to connect with our content want to do so on their time and at their convenience, and that’s fine.

But they also want an experience that’s unique, which means creating content like video, which does not translate over to print. We are constantly creating content to try and connect with audiences in the ways in which they consume — and it’s not just the “newspaper” anymore.

Even outside of the Tribune brand we produce things like Lake Tahoe Action (entertainment), Tahoe Summer/Winter (magazine), EAT Tahoe (restaurant/dining) and Tahoe HOME (lifestyle). I could add more but you get the point. People want content about their surroundings — whether it’s specific to news or simply what there is to do.

And our local businesses want to connect with the specific audiences that our content reaches, whether it’s more focused or broader-based. Because of this, we have an entire tool chest of digital options that can target all the way down to specific niche audiences — many not even through the Tribune brand.

If you want to reach a specific type of consumer in San Francisco — done. Someone who likes to travel and loves the outdoors in Chicago? Done. But people don’t know this. In part because of the stigma that’s attached to the word “newspaper” but also because we haven’t done a very good job of telling this story.

Not only have newspapers changed, we’re changing. Constantly. Our team here is always trying to find new and unique ways to create the content and experiences that our audiences want to engage with — our end goal being connecting that content to an audience and our advertisers to that audience. And if our advertisers want to connect with an audience that engages with other content outside of ours, we can help with that too.

I’m always eager to tell this story, but it’s not a simple story to tell. If you ever want to chew the fat around this, let’s talk — because the word “newspaper” shouldn’t be thought of in the same way anymore. We have a much wider story to tell, and it all starts with connecting.

Publisher Rob Galloway can be reached at rgalloway@tahoedailytribune.com or 530-542-8046.