Features

Committing to the dream

Looking back at where BenitoLink started and where it is today.

Reason 9: Building the BL we all want together is part of  a series of articles about nine reasons to support BenitoLink.

 

Brick by brick, a community can take charge and build the news organization it wants. This is being proven today in our small little county as donors, local businesses, regional corporations and foundations focused on reestablishing news all work together.

In 2012, the need for BenitoLink was revealed in locally organized rounds of community listening sessions. Several hundred of you were involved and you resoundingly asked for your own news that reported on local government and focused on our home, San Benito.

In 2012, several hundred county residents from a wide variety of professions, economic and cultural groups gathered to discuss the future of San Benito County. Photo by Leslie David
In 2012, several hundred county residents from a wide variety of professions, economic and cultural groups gathered to discuss the future of San Benito County. Photo by Leslie David

Through hours of research, exploration and dedication to the concept, BenitoLink was created and today it serves up several stories a day about county-wide topics.

With the help of donors making major commitments to their communities and several large news-building foundations, civic-minded people donating on whatever level they can are re-establishing nonprofit newsrooms in smaller communities where news was withering away.

BenitoLink is one of those growing newsrooms and today we end our ninth year of operation and look ahead with excitement to our tenth year, 2022.

Thank you to our board members: Rohit Sharma, Raul Céja, Ellen Fisher, Lois Locci, Dave Wright, Chang So, Phil Esparza and Heather Callens.

Thank you to our staff; Leslie David, Noe Magaña, Alex Esquivel and Liz Smith,

Reporters: Jenny Mendolla Arbizu, Robert Eliason, Carmel de Bertaut, Kirti Bassendine, Sean Roney, Becky Bonner and Frank Perez.

Photographers Tim Ippolito and Chris Mora

Intern team members; Juliana Luna, Leila Sadeghian, Jonathan Crowther and Katie Moorer.

Finally thank you to our readers for enjoying BenitoLink, sending us feedback when you have it and sharing your ideas and hopes for the BenitoLink of your dreams. Together, we can take charge and build the news organization we want.

Support your local nonprofit news.

We wish you all an outstanding 2022.

Leslie David

BenitoLink Executive Director

 

 

 

 

Leslie David

Leslie David is a Bay Area independent reporter/producer and is a BenitoLink founding board member. She has produced for radio, television, newspaper and magazines in both California and Wyoming. She was with KRON-TV News in San Francisco as camera-woman, editor and field producer, where she won the Commonwealth Club's Thomas Storke Award with Linda Yee for their series on the Aids Epidemic. She started as a small market news reporter shooting her own 16mm film at KEYT-TV Santa Barbara. Leslie lives on a ranch with her family in San Benito County.