Editor and Creator Amy Barnes
Joy of Medina County Magazine is the creation of local, experienced journalist, Amy Barnes, who saw a need for a strong publication that would hold to the ideals, integrity, and honor of print journalism being a valued guardian of democracy and a community leader.
Barnes has lived in a historic home in Medina County for the last 25 years and loves the close-knit community spirit that can be found throughout the county.
Her journalism experience began in Oklahoma when her mother and aunt began a small community newspaper, and the whole family pitched in to make it a valued part of the town. It also was the first newspaper in Oklahoma to be started by women.
She learned at a very young age the role of print media as guardians of democracy, saw the changes a newspaper can make, the watchdog protection it can provide against government and heavy-handed elected officials, the celebrations of life it can encourage, and the connections it can make between a wide range of readers.
Armed with a bachelor’s degree in news communications/reporting from the University of Oklahoma and plenty of experience, Barnes’ career has spanned a wide range of publications in Oklahoma, Kansas and Ohio, and included Cleveland Magazine and the Medina County Gazette. She has done every aspect of publishing from typesetting, layouts and supervising press runs to reporting, writing and editing to selling advertising.
Barnes was raised on a tiny Oklahoma farm with a wide variety of farm animals and pets. She has a deep love of animals and a never-ending faith in humanity and its ability to do better. She has been called “The Hat Lady” by many in the area and became known for using intensive research to calmly take on such battles as removing arsenic from a local school playground, increasing the safety of a high-accident intersection, and many others.
She is thrilled to be able to bring Joy to Medina County and looks forward to featuring the quiet heroes who live here.
“I started this magazine because I was so tired of all of the darkness that seemed to be all we heard about. I named it Joy of Medina County Magazine because I wanted to share all of the amazing goodness in our county and in people. I made digital subscriptions free so anyone and everyone could read it. Subscribe and add Joy to your life!” – Amy Barnes
Joy of Medina County Magazine is an independent, locally owned publication, not affiliated with or controlled by any other publication. All advertisers are vetted to ensure quality and the best in customer service.