A century ago electricity was a new thing for farms, just as they had teamed for thrashing groups formed for electrification. The Rural Electric Cooperative model might be just as urgent and appropriate for replacing the news needs of American Communities!
Change is the only constant and the electrical grid has made such a profound difference in the culture and society that we have become addicted to the electric stimulation and entertainment portions of our brains. It's been along strange trip to now and we are going where? Consider your ability to survive without numbers of dollars and electricity.
Thank you for your great updates. We are down to a few local papers. Unfortunately our local cooperative paper is very partisan and we can no longer support the one sided views. We need a different editor. Our other local papers do give readers opposing opinions. Glad to read the Hightower
Here in Pennsylvania we have a nonpartisan, independent journalism source called SpotlightPA.org that provides free quality investigative coverage of our state. It’s donor- and grant supported but anyone (and all media outlets) can access it for journalist that serves democracy, not profits. It’s winning lots of national awards and it’s only in its 5th year. Check it out!
The Oglethorpe Echo, in Oglethorpe county Georgia is now a community coop. The editor is a faculty member at the University of Georgia and the reporters are UGA journalism students. The students are getting some great experience and we're getting an excellent newspaper!
Here in Indiana, we're fortunate to have the Indiana Capital Chronicle, a free, online newsroom created by journalists with decades of experience. It is "an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to giving Hoosiers a comprehensive look inside state government, policy and elections. The site combines daily coverage with in-depth scrutiny, political awareness and insightful commentary."
That's an understatement. They are the go-to outlet for the real lowdown on what our elected officials and other goobers are doing for us and to us. Thankfully, their reporting appears increasingly often in our otherwise-shrinking local papers, filling a huge void left by the downsizing of statehouse reporters and investigative journalists.
And the ICC is part of a much bigger movement, not unlike the rural electric cooperative model, known as "States Newsroom" (https://statesnewsroom.com/). This is the real deal. They cover the entire country now, with non-profit newsrooms in all 50 states.
Is this the model for the future? Could be. But lets not stand around while we wait to find out: while these outlets are "free" to all, good journalism takes resources, so I encourage everyone to support your local not-for-profit online newsroom.
Sounds like an aspect of the "people"s union, which is great, unless you're trying to earn a living for it. (It's amazing how poor a person can become chasing your dreams).
Another timely fine contribution Mr. Hightower!
A century ago electricity was a new thing for farms, just as they had teamed for thrashing groups formed for electrification. The Rural Electric Cooperative model might be just as urgent and appropriate for replacing the news needs of American Communities!
We did an issue on rural electric coops back in 2019! https://hightowerlowdown.org/article/ruralelectric/
Good idea!
Change is the only constant and the electrical grid has made such a profound difference in the culture and society that we have become addicted to the electric stimulation and entertainment portions of our brains. It's been along strange trip to now and we are going where? Consider your ability to survive without numbers of dollars and electricity.
Thank you for your great updates. We are down to a few local papers. Unfortunately our local cooperative paper is very partisan and we can no longer support the one sided views. We need a different editor. Our other local papers do give readers opposing opinions. Glad to read the Hightower
Here in Pennsylvania we have a nonpartisan, independent journalism source called SpotlightPA.org that provides free quality investigative coverage of our state. It’s donor- and grant supported but anyone (and all media outlets) can access it for journalist that serves democracy, not profits. It’s winning lots of national awards and it’s only in its 5th year. Check it out!
Oh my goodness thank you so much Mr. Hightower!! A good warning and a great idea! Very inspiring!
Jim, We have a group of students who are building a local newspaper. URL is:
https://www.roaringeaglenews.com/news/an-oasis-in-the-news-desert%3A-the-first-year-of-the-roaring-eagle
Hope endures, Rich
The Oglethorpe Echo, in Oglethorpe county Georgia is now a community coop. The editor is a faculty member at the University of Georgia and the reporters are UGA journalism students. The students are getting some great experience and we're getting an excellent newspaper!
Excellent!
Here in Indiana, we're fortunate to have the Indiana Capital Chronicle, a free, online newsroom created by journalists with decades of experience. It is "an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to giving Hoosiers a comprehensive look inside state government, policy and elections. The site combines daily coverage with in-depth scrutiny, political awareness and insightful commentary."
That's an understatement. They are the go-to outlet for the real lowdown on what our elected officials and other goobers are doing for us and to us. Thankfully, their reporting appears increasingly often in our otherwise-shrinking local papers, filling a huge void left by the downsizing of statehouse reporters and investigative journalists.
And the ICC is part of a much bigger movement, not unlike the rural electric cooperative model, known as "States Newsroom" (https://statesnewsroom.com/). This is the real deal. They cover the entire country now, with non-profit newsrooms in all 50 states.
Is this the model for the future? Could be. But lets not stand around while we wait to find out: while these outlets are "free" to all, good journalism takes resources, so I encourage everyone to support your local not-for-profit online newsroom.
Sounds like an aspect of the "people"s union, which is great, unless you're trying to earn a living for it. (It's amazing how poor a person can become chasing your dreams).
I wrote a Letter to the Editor of my local weekly newspaper and it has not yet been published after 2 editions of the newspaper have come out