What 2009 May Bring to Alachua County
If 2008 is any indicator, we will definitely be getting less news from the local printed authority, the Gainesville Sun. These are trying times for newspapers across America. The Sun’s own Mothership, the New York Times, is in financial trouble. The Sun also had to combine with the the Ocala Star Banner to stay alive, and it is now in a smaller format, AND it costs more than ever.
This past election cycle the Sun did such an appalling job of covering the local elections that I asked one of their reporters what was going on. I was told they just did not have the manpower anymore. In spite of what some conservatives may think, the Sun’s in-house cartoonist, Jake Fuller, was not let go for ideological reasons. He was just another employee they could not afford to retain.
Newspapers everywhere have been losing ad revenue to the Internet. That does not mean people are spending their ad money on Internet advertising. It means that many people who used to use the classifieds are now taking advantage of free ads on craigslist. Craigslist is all over the country, and the Gainesville chapter is thriving. Since some businesses are also diverting a part of their advertising budgets to the Internet in the form of their own websites and search engine optimization and Google Adwords, and other venues, newspapers are missing more than a few sales.
You may not think that this impacts you because you can get so much information online for free. But, someone is being paid to cover national and international stories because they have a bigger audience, which means it’s easier to sell ads for that market. Our problem is that no one really covers our local politicians adequately. An even bigger problem is that local politicians are an afterthought at best, so there is very little financial reward for advertisers and, by extension, reporters, who would cover local meetings and their associated shenanigans.
The past few years I have offered ALL politicans, no matter what their ideological stripes, free reign to get their messages out at no cost. Cue the crickets. They also seem to have little interest in telling you any more than what makes a flattering bullet list on a shiny brochure. Therefore, I am giving up on their lot. No, that doesn’t mean I will be withholding space from them and denying them the right to get out the word on this site. It just means I am through begging them, and wasting my time chasing them around and asking them to tell YOU what they are up to.
I believe that our last best hope is that a small band of us will start taking up the task of informing our friends and neighbors about local candidates and local issues. In short, I need YOU. We need you. Our local government needs you to stick your nose in its business and write about it here. You don’t need to cover everything; just adopt a cause, an advisory board meeting, a politican, an issue, and write about it here. All I ask is that you try to be fair, try to get both sides of any concerns, and PUT YOUR NAME ON IT.
I love the Internet, but I am weary of the anonymity that allows people to say anything without any accoutability at all. I have no problem with the comments section of each article being that way, but if you are going to report, you should be willing to put your name on it. If we are going to do a good job and replace the Gainesville Sun, we are going to have to set a high water mark for credibility.
Did I say replace the Gainesville Sun? Yes. Fortunately, this is not too tall an order. Not only have they been inadequate; there is no prognosis for them to get better. We cannot wait for things to magically improve. And we cannot continue to let our local politicans and candidates get away with their minimalist leadership.
What will you get out of this? Some measure of gratitude from your many readers, and the satisfaction that comes with doing a public service. I have made nothing at this since 2004 when I started. Yes, I have an innocuous ad for my business, but it’s the least I should get for the trouble. And I cannot say that I have gotten even a single job out of it. Instead, I get a great lift when someone from overseas sends me an email saying that he or she can now make an informed vote on an absentee ballot because of this site. I know that what I am doing matters. I just wish I could do more. But, I am like most of you: a busy person with work, a family, and other obligations. But I will give a small slice of my life, and income, to help make local voters better aware of the issues here in Alachua County. Do you not have a small slice of your life to give to improve our community?
It’s a New Year, and you can engage in a new mission that really matters. Just send me an email and include this information:
Your REAL name
A phone number when I can reach you and verify your existence
A brief resume of what you have to offer, or what you plan to cover
Email this information to me at dontwc@gmail.com. I will get back to you with a username and password and some brief guidelines. They will not be onerous.
So, what will 2009 bring? I am gunning for more accountable leaders, more informed voters, and better solutions for our community’s challenges. Is it too much to hope for?
