Nonprofits

Stay informed and stay safe: a few words from BenitoLink’s executive director

The virus ‘calls on us to do more and to make sure we are serving our readers well.’
BenitoLink Executive Director Leslie David. Photo by Lisa Robinson.
BenitoLink Executive Director Leslie David. Photo by Lisa Robinson.

To our readers,

As we all continue to adapt our lives to the COVID-19 crisis, BenitoLink’s editorial team has stepped up its role of providing essential local news to our community. We have been going full-bore in recent weeks, relaying crucial information, sharing event cancellations and producing stories for our readers.

A public health crisis like COVID-19 calls on us to do more and to make sure we are serving our audience well.

BenitoLink reporter Carmel de Bertaut reports on need for volunteers at Foodbank. Photo by Scott Kindred
BenitoLink reporter Carmel de Bertaut reports on need for volunteers at Community FoodBank. Photo by Scott Kindred.

Although BenitoLink reporters and photographers are still covering news, we are out on the streets less and using online services as much as possible.

In that spirit, we have adjusted our reporting to fit readers’ needs, by providing:

  • Daily (or as needed) roundups of announcements from agencies, businesses and nonprofits
  • COVID-19 newsletters to BenitoLink subscribers
  • Full team reporting on the status of COVID-19 in San Benito County
  • Feature articles to remind us that there is more to life than the virus

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This is a very difficult time, and you have all done a phenomenal job. Keep up the great work. And always know that you’re providing (now more than ever) a much-needed service to our community. —Frank Perez, SBHS teacher and frequent BenitoLink feature writer

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In recent weeks, BenitoLink readership has expanded from our average 30,000 unique visitors a month to 45,000. Readers are online and in need of current information, and we are here to provide it around the clock, seven days a week.

Thank you to all our readers and contributors who are staying in touch. We hope you and your families are healthy and able to enjoy time together despite the challenges the virus presents.

Kind regards,

Leslie David

Executive Director

BenitoLink, San Benito’s local news

 

 

BenitoLink is a nonprofit news website that reports on San Benito County. Our team is working around the clock during this time when accurate information is essential. It is expensive to produce local news and community support is what keeps the news flowing. Please consider supporting BenitoLink, San Benito County’s news.

 

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.