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Zeke Orlinsky

Founder & Publisher, Patuxent Publishing

Inducted into MDDC’s Hall of Fame in 2010. This article is based on information submitted at the time.

Zeke Orlinsky
Zeke Orlinsky

The founding owner of Patuxent Publishing Company (PPC), Zeke Orlinsky has made significant contributions to the field of community journalism. His foray into the field began in 1969 when, while on the path to a successful career as a lawyer, Zeke saw an opportunity that he couldn’t ignore. Developer James Rouse had begun developing the planned community of Columbia, MD, and this new town lacked a newspaper that would tie it together.

So, with his entrepreneurial vision and sharp foresight, Orlinsky put all his energy into creating and growing the Columbia Flier and, unknowingly at the time, the future of PPC, publisher of 15 community newspapers, five glossy magazines, eight telephone directories, and hundreds of specialty publications .

Over the next 30-plus years, Zeke brought his vision to life through his industrious spirit and dedication. Through his commitment and participation with his readers, he and his staff enlightened those who might not have otherwise had exposure to community-related issues.

He did this with consideration of a community in its infancy by growing along with it, providing readers with a venue to hear and to be heard as the voice of  their community. In this type of exchange, Zeke’s knowledge and care went beyond the normal practices of a weekly paper.

Instrumental in the pioneering of  the Columbia community, he enhanced people’s awareness by creating avenues for them to gather and discuss community issues. He created this opportunity with the birth of the Flier, originally a four-page 8½” x 11″ newsletter with an ad on the front and a classified section full of things that Zeke wanted to sell from his own garage.

As owner and publisher, he led with the same competitive and quality nature of a daily paper, continually encouraging his writers and editors to engage readers in thought provoking, unbiased articles. Zeke, along with general manager Jean Moon, created an atmosphere of open dialogue where truth in editorial didn’t sway to the side of biased news pointed to benefit the advertisers paying for ads. He  triumphed at this balance by not giving in to the temptation of increasing his bottom line by compromising on the very integrity that made his paper so successful.

He also made shrewd, smart business decisions. He was proactive and competitive. During his leadership, PPC consistently added newspapers, growing the company beyond Columbia into covering news into the rest of Howard County with the acquisition of the Howard Counry Times and into Baltimore County with the acquisition of nine community newspapers there.

All of the papers adapted Zeke’s desire to serve the readers and advertisers of the community it served.

Zeke also wasn’t afraid to make a point with his papers. The Flier carried his publisher’s note every week with a brief commentary from him. When he believed in a principle, he stayed true to it. For instance, he pioneered the end of cigarette and alcohol ads in his newspaper  long before it was the trend, even though this caused a high revenue loss at the time. Zeke stayed true to his stance, and soon after, other publishers  followed. This type of dedication to the good of the people shows how big a heart he has and how much he wanted to achieve enriching the lives of his readers.

We’ve attribute many of PPC’s successes to Z eke’s contributions and strong leadership. His dynamic way of thinking has enriched the lives of many and that is why it is with this same philosophy that PPC runs its business today.

He believed that the employees made Patuxent. This culture is still the culture of today. He led by example by taking care of the people first. He believed the employees of Patuxent should enjoy coming to work as much as he did. It was not an unusual sight to see him traverse the halls of the Flier Building in his tennis shorts. He would work by a roaring fire while listening to jazz music in his office. He made it known that he enjoyed life and he found it equally important that everyone should live with the same vigor and love for life.

During his time with PPC, his affinity toward colleagues, his employees, friends, the betterment of  the community, and making improvements wherever he saw necessary did not go unnoticed. All of these actions helped to strengthen ideals that our community still holds and values. With his work, he helped guide PPC to its strong stance today and has cultivated a sense of community amongst a wide span of people.

–  by Paul Milton, Executive Editor, and Beth Ditman, Director of Marketing, Patuxent Publishing, 2010