News is morphing and popping up here and there. What’s growing through the cracks is grassroots journalism. Websites such as BenitoLink, hyper-local and community-based, are getting established and building their own identity with very few business models to follow. Next Tuesday, will be an opportunity to support the online news site designed to serve you.
In a recent article, Death By 1,000 Paper Cuts, Matt DeRienzo, executive director of LION Publishers, wrote about the changes occurring in the news business nationally. He explained that journalists are adjusting to the change and beginning to produce excellent work through local online news.
“Support them in efforts at grassroots journalism entrepreneurship. They hold the best hope for replacing these continual cuts to local journalism,” DeRienzo wrote.
He talked about localized news start-ups such as BenitoLink. DeRienzo’s organization, LION (Local Online News Publishers) represents and provides services for small, online news sites.
Writers, photographers and social media pros pool their skills for the public good and homegrown news websites like BenitoLink are cropping up around the country. Community members write stories, sit in on editorial meetings and contribute in whatever way they can. Neighbors call each other and talk about their concerns, we hear about it, do some research and stories get published.
BenitoLink is approachable and invites conversation. Whether through reporting or contributed stories, we share the unique individuals who make up the multi-cultural fabric of San Benito County. We follow-up when things have gone array.
Some sites are nonprofit and some are for-profit, but each one has to be dedicated to its region and stay relevant. The BenitoLink team and the residents of San Benito County are in this together. BenitoLink is your news.
Next week, BenitoLink will be asking for your donation through San Benito Gives, a county-oriented fundraiser. Whether it is for $10 or for $35 a month, your donation means you are ready to take part in BenitoLink……Your News.