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In journalism circles, trust is a high value. So is credibility.

They’re core values, in fact, for reporters, editors and news organizations everywhere—hard to obtain, easy to squander and almost possible to retrieve if they’re ever lost.

But many in the public are skeptical, especially as traditional outlets continue their rapid decline.

I was reading recently about how the decline of “objectivity” as an organizing principle for journalists has coincided with mass layoffs at many of our leading newspapers, and as political tensions have been roiling over the last decade.

By “objectivity,” I’m referring more to the process of news gathering than anything else. Pure objectivity is impossible, because journalists are subjective creatures like all other humans.

We all have our biases, but I was trained early on to set aside my views for the job at hand—informing the public. That’s just basic professionalism, but it seems to be a lost value these days.

The issue at the heart of the above link—and it’s rather long and dense piece that’s primarily of interest to people like me—is that some journalists seem to be doing their work for other journalists, or to go along with the trendy issues in our profession.

Quite often, they have little to do with journalism. The career fallout has been harsh, and I know a number of people who have been affected by these reductions. I feel their pain, because twice I’ve been forced to leave corporate media jobs.

At East Cobb News, being independent and being devoted to local news means we can take a different, more authentic approach. In fact, I started this site to get back to what’s really important—reporting directly for the readers of this community.

Last week I mentioned that one such person here in East Cobb donated $300 to our March fundraising drive. I was so deeply touched, and I e-mailed to ask why. Here’s what she told me:

“I was responsive to your request for donations because I so appreciate your service to the East Cobb community in keeping us informed of happenings (big and small) that matter to our daily lives and bring us closer together. And you do so in a manner that is non-partisan and straightforward.”

If I could copy and paste and laminate my mission statement for all to see, this is how it would read.

Please donate today!

I’m deeply honored to know people here feel this way about what we’ve done at East Cobb News, and I’ve heard from others who feel the same way.

Of course, there are those who think we could do better, or that we’re biased somehow. Some think we’re in cahoots with the Democratic-led Cobb commissioners, others think we go too easy on the Republican-majority Cobb school board.

Others still say we go too hard on either.

Depending on who you ask, we’re either Commie libtards or MAGA Trumpers.

That’s a very vast ocean indeed, and we’re somewhere in between.

We’ve built East Cobb News on the premise that party affiliation or political/social/cultural views aren’t as important as community affinity.

And we built it especially for readers, regardless of their views, much less those of this editor and publisher.

This month we set a goal of raising $1,500 from readers. About halfway through, we’re only a third of the way there. But I think we can reach that number, and even exceed it, because I know there are plenty of you who share the above reader’s appreciation for what East Cobb News means to you.

If you have already donated, thank you! If you have not, please support the work we do. If you value what we do—based on the values of trust and credibility—consider a modest monthly recurring donation. You can give an amount of your choosing, either monthly, annually or on a one-time basis.

Unlike other corporate-owned outlets, East Cobb News does not charge for reader access. While we’re a for-profit entity, we’re not unlike those who ask readers for their assistance in not just preserving, but strengthening local news.

Nor do we charge for our newsletter—one of the more popular ways readers keep up with East Cobb News—and we invite public comments on all our stories. We’ve got a healthy, vibrant community that comes online to discuss the top headlines of the day, and I’m proud of what’s been built up here.

Press Patron, our online platform is safe, secure and easy to use, and you can manage your account however you like.

Just click the link below and thank you so much!

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