There are so many stories being published these days about the state of local news that I wish those doing the publishing—as well as conducting the surveys, producing the data and asking the questions about all this—would come out and help those of us who are actually doing the local news every day in our communities.
We know there are fewer journalists in communities everywhere, and that the situation remains acute. In Cobb County, we’re considered relatively well off in terms of having a variety of news sources that citizens can count on every day, and I’m proud that East Cobb News is part of that effort.
But while many of these journalism think tanks, research centers and non-profit organizations are well-meaning in their concerns, they’re also missing something really important about the news business.
And let me remind you that even for non-profit media outlets, doing the news in a professional sense really is a business. We need funding/revenue not only to stay afloat, but to thrive, and that’s been a very tough reality in the digital media world.
What we need to do better is to illustrate to our readers how important it is not just to “save democracy,” but to sustain ourselves as business entities.
Because if we can’t keep the lights on, there’s not going to be anything else to save.
As community news advocates Ellen Clegg and Dan Kennedy argue, digital news entrepreneurs are the heart and soul of what’s happening to strengthen local news: “We’ve learned that there is no substitute for the dedication of grassroots news activists.”
I heartily agree, and that’s why I’ve been coming to you in recent weeks with a continuing appeal to financially support the work of East Cobb News.
Please contribute today!
We are reader-driven, meaning we exist primarily for our readers and our advertisers. We don’t serve corporate overseers somewhere else, and aren’t interested in “scaling up” to suit the interests of big business or other interests that aren’t interested in what really happens here.
Even established and profitable advertising-based news outlets solicit financial support from their readers, including The Marietta Daily Journal here in Cobb County.
Unlike our august newspaper, however, East Cobb News doesn’t have a paywall, and we want to keep it that way.
Readers don’t like paywalls, and they don’t like paying for the news, according to the Pew Research Center.
But we’d like to get more support from readers like you, who value what you get every day from East Cobb News.
We know you’d rather just get the news you want without being bothered by these requests to help us. I understand how it can be annoying.
In our Sunday newsletter, we place our fundraising appeal at the very top, but it doesn’t get anywhere near the clicks of other stories.
But if you want those stories to keep coming, and for us to do even more news than we do, your support is more important than ever.
Donating is safe, secure and easy!
We just marked our eighth anniversary last week, and it was a good week to take stock and celebrate. But we’re not slowing down at East Cobb News, even during the Dog Days of summer, because we’re totally committed to serving this community.
Even though East Cobb News comes free of charge to you, it’s not free to produce.
Your gift of $6, $12, or even $25 a month helps us to tell countless stories—keeping you informed about what’s happening in East Cobb. And your contribution delivers the news to readers everywhere—via email, social media, and of course, at eastcobbnews.com.
When you support East Cobb News, you ensure stories don’t slip through the cracks. Every story we tell matters —whether it’s about local events, school board and county commission decisions, interesting people, or how people are helping out one another in East Cobb.
East Cobb News is proud to fill that role. As your local news provider, we pledge to provide relevant and local reporting about issues and events that affect you.
Please don’t take that for granted!
When you give today, you’ll ensure quality coverage with a local focus that is free and accessible to all.
Nobody else is doing this in our community, and our plans are to keep giving you the local news that you love for a long time to come.
Let us know what you think about all of this: e-mail me: wendy@eastcobbnews.com. I’m interested in hearing from you.
Thank you for your support of East Cobb News!
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