This bit of good news was delivered to me via The New York Times’ newsletter, The Morning, on December 22, 2023. In their piece about the rise of independent journalism, the section “Journalism to savor” (below) was the sidebar. You can read the article HERE. They will give you access to one free peek, so click when you have time to explore.

News vs Journalism

I explored the NYT’s article with hope and skepticism. There have been some “news” agencies created in recent years by special interests to pander to special interests. I was concerned this may be more of the same tilted quasi-news. I was not interested in more of that.

Online news seems to me to be a few paragraphs with very little information beyond whatever could be crammed into the headline and released right NOW to garner a click. The clicks make the advertisers happy. And there are pop-ups…so very many pop-ups.

There has always been a race to release news first. Watch any c. 1940 movie with a “cub reporter” out to get the “scoop” and you will have a vivid picture of what is happening inside my head as I type this.

The race used to be controlled by a lengthy reporting process—verifying content and researching the news piece to find additional information to support and contextualize the item being reported. A news item traveled through many hands to reach the public. At every stage production it was examined, read and questioned. There was also a guiding question asked by the editor, “is this news important to the audience?”

What I found as I explored The New York Times’ article was a network of journalists—people interviewing, researching, confirming via multiple sources—reporting what was happening locally, regionally, and nationally. Grassroots news created by people who appreciate and practice a form of proper journalism that could be considered “slow” news. The care and expenditure of time improves the quality of the news so that it provides helpful and complete information.

What Makes These Sources “Independent”?

The article explained that the featured independent news sources were established as 501c3 non-profit organizations to keep them out from under the influence of politics, business, and/or other self-interested parties.

The question “is this news important to our audience?” can be explored by a staff independent from the influences of a managing body telling them what they have to report based on who is funding the work.

Realistically, the voice of each writer will still contain their lifetime of personal experience and, maybe, their opinions. That is not a bad thing because a taste of a writer’s “voice” differentiates one writer from another. In an organization dedicated to journalism, however, that article will be reviewed by editors and other members of staff to check facts and perhaps to temper the writer’s opinion(s) about the news they are reporting. The full process returns professional integrity through an editorial and collaborative process to the resulting news. The combination of time and consistent, accurate reporting can rebuild a public trust in independent news agencies. A trust that has foundered and left our civility in the dust.

It’s a Sliding Scale

In fairness, I know there are still great journalists working within the framework of traditional media. Their in-depth reporting sometimes comes through the cacophony of news bits, and I really enjoy reading what they have to report.

News reporting is a sliding scale. No matter the source, it is up to the reader to discern truth from fiction. Part of a journalist’s job is to provide the resources for individuals to verify the truth. They may not be able to reveal their sources in some situations, but they had better be able to provide sources of independent confirmation they have researched.

Establishing an Independent News Organization

If your community lacks a reliable, independent news source, and you would like to explore the opportunities around independent journalism, please consult the Institute for Nonprofit News website – https://inn.org

If you are interested in reading news from an independent news source: https://findyournews.org/campaign/inn-network-directory/ The Find Your News website is available via inn.org’s site as well.

An excerpt from The New York Times’ sidebar:

Journalism to savor

In the Hunter Hills neighborhood of Atlanta, idle freight trains blocked a main road, sometimes for more than 30 hours. — Capital B News

In Colorado, a libertarian “food freedom” movement has re-energized a long battle over unpasteurized milk. — The Colorado Sun

A city manager used political muscle and a community’s trust to remake DuBois, Pa., while granting himself raises, engaging in conflicts of interest, and allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars. — Spotlight PA

After a busing debacle in Jefferson County, Ky., caused school closures, two reporters followed one school bus trying to complete an impossible route. — Louisville Public Media

A Bible at a retirement facility piqued an Indianola bookseller’s curiosity, sending her on a journey to learn how a 318-year-old Scottish family Bible ended up in central Iowa. — The Indianola Independent Advocate

Black Californians in the 1800s took extraordinary measures to escape slavery and make California a place of belonging. — Shasta Scout

A 10-year-old and his father were exploring a Rhode Island bike path when they found a species of mushroom that had never before been recorded in the state. — ecoRI News

City officials in Atlanta have made multiple false claims about their “environmental stewardship” of its public safety training center, dubbed “Cop City.” — The Xylom

The federal government’s installation of lights in one stretch of southern Arizona, meant to help border agents, is threatening to spoil the night sky of a nearby biosphere reserve. — Arizona Luminaria

An investigative report of wage theft in New York State uncovered rampant abuse in the horse racing industry, with repeat offenders owing workers over $4.4 million. — Documented

Prisoners in China’s central Hunan Province were paid pennies to make work gloves bearing the brand of Milwaukee Tool, a company with a nearly 100-year history in Wisconsin. — Wisconsin Watch

An investigation into Chicago’s rat management found a short-staffed bureau ill equipped to handle complaints or conduct inspections. — Block Club Chicago

Bob Lewis, who’s 95, loved his job at Washington Elementary School in Westfield, N.J. When he was fired, the community rallied. — TAPinto Westfield

A two-year investigation revealed how the Chicago police often delay and mishandle missing-persons cases — and how poor data is making the problem harder to solve. — City Bureau and the Invisible Institute

In Lebanon, Pa., the orthodontists Rob and Lindsay Wertz bought Wertz Candies — no relation — continuing its nearly century-old legacy. — Lebtown

Nevada beavers, considered a nuisance for decades, now seem to be key to restoring the state’s damaged wetlands. — The Nevada Independent

Supporters, and some critics, agree Montana’s director of public health and human services is whip-smart and politically astute. How he wants to overhaul Montana’s broken behavioral health system is less clear. — Montana Free Press

Learn more at: https://www.kenoshaareachamber.com/b2bx/

March is National Women’s Month and this year’s theme, selected by the National Women’s History Alliance, is “Celebrating the Women Who Tell Our Stories.”

 “Throughout 2023, the NWHA will encourage recognition of women, past and present, who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling including print, radio, TV, stage, screen, blogs, podcasts, and more. The timely theme honors women in every community who have devoted their lives and talents to producing art, pursuing truth, and reflecting the human condition decade after decade.

“From the earliest storytellers through pioneering journalists, our experiences have been captured by a wide variety of artists and teachers. These include authors, songwriters, scholars, playwrights, performers, and grandmothers throughout time. Women have long been instrumental in passing on our heritage in word and in print to communicate the lessons of those who came before us. Women’s stories, and the larger human story, expand our understanding and strengthen our connections with each other.”

https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org

Reflections on Women [Publishers] in History

It is easy to think our experiences, particularly the hard ones, are unique—that they exist solely inside the context of right now. Reading biographies and autobiographical information about others can reset our context.

There are few human experiences that have not happened before, and knowing someone already survived a similar situation doesn’t make our own situation less difficult because pain is not comparable…our pain is always our own. It can, however, offer a perspective for survival and enable us to see a way to rebuild.

I’ve been working in publishing for 30 years. Despite this deep experience I am constantly asked by others to prove myself. It is insufficient to state the years of experience I’ve had…no one will take my word for it anymore. We live in a time of distrust. Also we live in a time when there are so many titles for professional positions, that they are sometimes meaningless without concrete examples.

It is disheartening to experience this doubt over and over, and I can see how this environment of mistrust can make people feel like posers.

Former co-workers, now friends, are the living touch-points of my own history who anchor me and my experience.

Out of curiosity, I searched for “women publishers” on a favorite search engine, and the search resulted in a link that caught my eye—a Wikipedia “List of women printers and publishers before 1800”! The Wikipedia page has an impressive list of women who worked in printing, and the earliest woman actively occupied in printing was Estellina Conat who worked in Mantova, Italy between 1474-1477.

Explore the Women in publishing before 1800 list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_printers_and_publishers_before_1800

Scrolling through the list and reading snippets about how some of these women found themselves in the role of publishing, I drew parallels in our experience. Women publishers from 1800 and earlier worked in a time of distrust, too. However, they were not trusted simply because of their gender. Surely a woman was not capable. Surely her time would be more well spent in lady-like pursuits. The hurdles were not better or worse than the hurdles we face today, but hurdles existed and exist.

My takeaway from my meandering through history was to note their perseverance. They just got on with their business. They did what they needed to do, and when the published piece reached the readers’ hands, it was the news (or a book, or a flyer). Publishing back then was a thing that happened behind the scenes. Several successful women publishers before 1800 continued a family business established by their father or husband after losing that parent or spouse. The customer’s point of contact was with a newspaper boy on the street, so these women just got on with their business and stepped into the leadership role.

The act of stepping into a larger and more responsible role is timeless in the human experience and has no gender specificity. As children, we are responsible for very little. Ideally, as our parents raise us, they give us opportunities for responsibility inside the safe environment of the family. Every year we gather more information, develop skills, and take on new responsibilities. The wider our experience and opportunity, the more capable we become. This is a function of being a human being.

We are all, to one degree or another, capable human beings. We can just get on with our business.

Econoprint in Racine is celebrating their 50th Anniversary, and Carl Matteson posted a lovely piece on Facebook and LinkedIn about the collaboration between Econoprint (innovative printing and binding solution), NMP (design and layout), to create the Small Changes flip journal for Jodie Needham Fitness (a Coach with a vision).

You can read more about the Small Changes flip journal on NMP’s Recent Work page, but I wanted to take a moment to celebrate the collaboration that made this project a real pleasure.

Thank you Carl and Jodie! Looking forward to working with you again!

This Thursday is the Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce Business-to-Business Expo.

NMP will be there with a healthy amount of swag, a swanky video, and plenty of business cards.

We are also having a business card raffle. Two gifts are available: a Jodie Needham Fitness package, and an NMP package. Drop your business card in the vase for a chance to win. Winners will be drawn at 1:45 and notified by text or email—you don’t have to be present to win.

If you are in the area, we hope to see you there!