|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Pleasanton suffered a profound loss with the passing of Jeb Bing, and I have a heaviness in my heart that I can’t quite put into words.
Jeb was a steadfast champion of Pleasanton, and was affectionately known as “Mr. Pleasanton” around town and in our office.
Pleasanton was his love, and the Pleasanton Weekly is his legacy. The newspaper, the annual Holiday Fund donation campaign and, well, the entire East Bay Division of Embarcadero Media Foundation, stand as a testament to his tireless efforts and deep dedication.
Jeb and I were generations apart, but we connected through a shared commitment to local journalism.
I remain in my role as president and publisher of the Pleasanton Weekly after 19 years at the helm because, like Jeb, I understand that fact-based local journalism is vital to a community and its residents.
And I know the reporting Pleasanton residents have come to expect from us is not inexpensive.
Our most impactful reporting depends on thorough, time-intensive investigation. For example, it took over a year, multiple public records requests and the threat of intervening in a lawsuit to get the documents to report on a Pleasanton principal who was placed on a mysterious leave and later accused of grooming former students.
In 2009, the economic downturn forced us to take the Pleasanton Weekly’s sister paper, the Danville Weekly, out of print. Danville readers were devastated and a few lambasted us because, as one person put it, we “took away one of the best things to happen to Danville without warning”.
Without warning.
I learned a valuable lesson, and I won’t make that mistake again.
Beyond sustaining current staffing and publishing a weekly paper – costs that total hundreds of thousands of dollars – we aim to strengthen and expand our journalism.
We also want to continue our annual Holiday Fund campaign, which Jeb launched in 2002. He was very proud of the way the community came together every year to support Tri-Valley nonprofits and was the program lead (and primary cheerleader) from 2002 until 2017, when he retired.
To everyone who donated to this year’s Holiday Fund, thank you. For those who haven’t contributed yet, do not despair – the campaign doesn’t end until Jan. 16.
Thanks to our advertisers and financial support from readers, we can carry out our mission to promote transparency, accountability and the public’s right to know through fact-based journalism.
Tax-deductible contributions of any amount at any time are truly appreciated. Considering the misuse of AI that is already occurring and the number of public relations professionals outnumber journalists six to one, the need is never greater than now.
I’m honored to have worked alongside Jeb, with his dry sense of humor, easy smile and keen journalist instincts. He had a huge impact on my life, and will be forever grateful for our friendship.
I’m dedicated to honoring his memory and doing what I can to continue his legacy.
Rest easy, Mr. Pleasanton – Remembering Jeb Bing, founding Weekly editor and publisherJanuary 8, 2026 12:32 pm