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The Observer's punch and thoughtfulness has brought it a readership well beyond the borders of Idaho — it has subscribers in 41 states, including many politicians in Washington. In a praiseful article, the Columbia Journalism Review noted that the Observer "comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable." Afflicting the comfortable produces advertising cancellations as well as press-association awards; last year the paper lost $4,000 on a gross income of $51 ,000. It would be out of business if it were not subsidized by its owner, Boise Valley Broadcasters, which operates radio and television station KBOI.
The feisty Observer has plenty of critics, mostly officials it has attacked. Republican Governor Don Samuelson, with whom Day disagrees on almost everything, claims that the paper tries to "get people emotionally disturbed rather than present facts." Sheriff Paul Bright, who has been assailed by the Observer for efforts to close such movies as I, a Woman and Candy, vainly sought a warrant to arrest Day when the paper published some four-letter words used by S.D.S. Founder Tom Hayden at the University of Idaho, even though the speech was also televised. The prosecuting attorney ruled that the one incident showed no pattern of obscenity but warned that Day should not use such words again. Day, naturally, makes no such promise. "We don't mind risking the paper when we think an issue is important," he says.