I wrote yesterday about the big money that went into our election, and hoped that we could put that kind of money toward local non-profits this year too.
I neglected to mention another, crucial part of our community well-being: our local media. As we all know, the news business has been destroyed by the Internet and is now scrambling to figure out a business model that works in an age when everyone expects their news for free. Paywalls may yet be the future, but I don’t know many islanders who have subscribed to the Kitsap Sun since they started using theirs. I read it at the library if I’m particularly interested in one of their stories, but I don’t intend to subscribe for the privilege of reading Kitsap Sun articles and their Bainbridge-hating commenters.
And that points up the problem with paywalls—-the product has to be unique and very attractive to entice readers to pay, now that we’re all used to free news.
Yet this election surely has demonstrated how important the news is in our community. Without the Bainbridge Review and Inside Bainbridge, we would have only the most partisan of information. In the past month, if people had only the Trippwire, the Bainbridge Notebook and various personal emails on which to base voting decisions, I don’t think anyone could have made a fully-informed decision. I am fully aware of the limitations of my blog, and don’t pretend to be a real news source. I write columns and opinion pieces on subjects that interest me, based on the best information I can find. While blogs like mine serve a purpose, they cannot take the place of news organizations. (more…)
Bainbridge Notebook 