The Island Reporter was started in 1973 by residents who were especially interested in
the incorporation of Sanibel as a city. This movement was developed to give the island
more independence, thus reducing control from the county.
In classic newspaper fashion, founders managed to print their first typo in a promotional
flier before the first issue hit the streets. Consequently, the inaugural issue contained
the first Letter from the Editor assuring readers that they were not going to be a paper
of "goom" — as it was spelled in the flier — nor a paper of "gloom, covering the original concern.
After proving they were mere mortals, they continued to publish a weekly paper that has grown
to become the island's newspaper of record and a trusted source of news, as well as a reliable
place to express and exchange opinions on public matters through the Letters to the Editor column.
The paper assisted in the process of helping Sanibel become a city, and continues to provide
thorough coverage of city government and island events today.