A Voice for the Women of Evansville
BY STAFF
APRIL 14, 2024
As publisher, Marilyn Cosby is already making her first mark by issuing a call to the women of Evansville: contribute. Submit letters, essays, guest columns, and opinion pieces. Share your insights, your challenges, your humor, your hopes for the future of our city and region.
“In many communities, women are the glue that holds families, neighborhoods, and civic efforts together,” Marilyn said. “It’s time more of those voices were heard. We invite women from all walks of life to speak up and speak out.”
Submissions can be sent via email or mail, and a new “Women of Southern Indiana” feature will launch later this spring to showcase the region’s diverse perspectives.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
While Marilyn may be blazing a trail in Southern Indiana, she joins a lineage of strong, pioneering women in journalism. From Katharine Graham, the legendary publisher of The Washington Post who led during the Watergate era, to Sarah Josepha Hale, who edited Godey’s Lady’s Book in the 1800s and used her platform to advocate for education and women’s rights—female publishers have long shaped public discourse and challenged the status quo.
More recently, women like Jill Abramson, the former executive editor of The New York Times, and Maria Hinojosa, founder of Futuro Media, continue to break barriers in major media. But local publishing is where the heart of journalism lives—and where its future may be decided.
Why Local Matters
At a time when many newspapers have been swallowed up by distant corporations, the City-County Observer remains proudly local, fiercely independent, and committed to covering Evansville and Southern Indiana without fear or favor. Local ownership ensures that the publication is answerable only to the people who live, work, and raise families here.
“We’ve always believed that sunlight is the best disinfectant,” Ron said. “We don’t exist to be popular. We exist to be honest, transparent, and accountable.”
The continuation of the Observer under Marilyn’s leadership is a rare and refreshing story of resilience in a landscape where too many local voices have gone silent. It’s also an opportunity to write a new chapter that’s more inclusive, more engaged, and more representative of the people it serves.
“Peace Out” — But Not Goodbye
Ron Cosby may be stepping back, but he promises to remain a loyal reader—and, perhaps, an occasional contributor. His signature sign-off, “Peace Out,” remains not a farewell, but a toast to the next generation of civic conversation.
To Marilyn, and to the women of Evansville: the ink is in your hands.
As publisher, Marilyn Cosby is already making her first mark by issuing a call to the women of Evansville: contribute. Submit letters, essays, guest columns, and opinion pieces. Share your insights, your challenges, your humor, your hopes for the future of our city and region.
“In many communities, women are the glue that holds families, neighborhoods, and civic efforts together,” Marilyn said. “It’s time more of those voices were heard. We invite women from all walks of life to speak up and speak out.”
Submissions can be sent via email or mail, and a new “Women of Southern Indiana” feature will launch later this spring to showcase the region’s diverse perspectives.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
While Marilyn may be blazing a trail in Southern Indiana, she joins a lineage of strong, pioneering women in journalism. From Katharine Graham, the legendary publisher of The Washington Post who led during the Watergate era, to Sarah Josepha Hale, who edited Godey’s Lady’s Book in the 1800s and used her platform to advocate for education and women’s rights—female publishers have long shaped public discourse and challenged the status quo.
More recently, women like Jill Abramson, the former executive editor of The New York Times, and Maria Hinojosa, founder of Futuro Media, continue to break barriers in major media. But local publishing is where the heart of journalism lives—and where its future may be decided.
Why Local Matters
At a time when many newspapers have been swallowed up by distant corporations, the City-County Observer remains proudly local, fiercely independent, and committed to covering Evansville and Southern Indiana without fear or favor. Local ownership ensures that the publication is answerable only to the people who live, work, and raise families here.
“We’ve always believed that sunlight is the best disinfectant,” Ron said. “We don’t exist to be popular. We exist to be honest, transparent, and accountable.”
The continuation of the Observer under Marilyn’s leadership is a rare and refreshing story of resilience in a landscape where too many local voices have gone silent. It’s also an opportunity to write a new chapter that’s more inclusive, more engaged, and more representative of the people it serves.
“Peace Out” — But Not Goodbye
Ron Cosby may be stepping back, but he promises to remain a loyal reader—and, perhaps, an occasional contributor. His signature sign-off, “Peace Out,” remains not a farewell, but a toast to the next generation of civic conversation.
To Marilyn, and to the women of Evansville: the ink is in your hands.
