|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
On May 13th, Publisher Gina Channell Wilcox posted an open letter to readers providing an update about how our transition to a nonprofit organization is going and the need to sustain local journalism through memberships and donations. As we near the end of the Spring Membership Drive we understand that it is highly likely that we will not achieve the necessary goals for this drive, which greatly impacts our sustainability and the future of local news. We are resharing her letter today to convey the urgent need for your support.
Our news organization was a nonprofit a long time before our official transition to a 501(c)3 foundation in January. We were definitely not turning a profit, and paying our journalists became more difficult every month.
When the Pleasanton Weekly launched in 2000, the goal was to bring residents not just routine coverage,but the investigative journalism and analysis needed to make good decisions.
There was healthy competition with the Tri-Valley Herald and the East Bay Times. While they were reporting regional news, we were laser-focused on one community with five reporters and two editors.
Twenty-four years later we have three reporters and two editors covering five communities, the Times’ newsroom has been decimated and the Herald no longer exists.
The consequences of losing news organizations and journalists are devastating and should alarm people who believe in democratic values.
Advertising no longer supports the reporting resources necessary to do even basic meeting coverage, let alone investigative journalism and analysis. News organizations have closed, leaving “news deserts” – communities with little or no access to professional journalism and fact-based news coverage.
Others, like the Times’ parent company, have been purchased by hedge funds that don’t care about journalism or maintaining a strong press, which is essential to a strong democracy. They care about making money, so one of the first things they do when they buy a group is gut the newsroom, leaving behind understaffed ghost papers, publications that still exist but the quality, quantity and scope of their news content have significantly declined.
While other news organizations are regrettably being dismantled, we are looking to the future. The transition to a nonprofit was the start of a long, arduous journey to rebuild a strong foundation for local news.
Our reporters and editors are working hard to keep our coverage consistent and quality high, but paying these journalists continues to be a challenge.
I wholeheartedly believe that where local journalism thrives, democracy thrives.
If you feel a strong local press is imperative to an informed citizenry and healthy community, please consider becoming a member or making a one-time donation.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Gina Channell Wilcox
Embarcadero VP of Sales
President & Publisher, East Bay