The Bulletin hits the pause button to regroup, recalibrate
July 25, update:
Last night (July 24), the Pikes Peak Bulletin board met and discussed our current situation and how to proceed.
The board reaffirmed our strategic plan aiming to become a sustainable pillar of local journalism in the Pikes Peak region. We have secured funding for public affairs reporting and will continue to provide that content on our website, social media and free emailed newsletter, along with thoughtful columns and community stories on local businesses, events, arts and entertainment, and more. We will be posting regularly on all our digital platforms.
We will continue to pursue funding avenues and find creative, meaningful ways to engage and serve the wider community – including a listening tour to hear directly from our community members on what you need and want in a weekly news source.
It is our collective hope that our printing pause will be brief. We believe in the power of print, even as digital media becomes increasingly important. This printing pause is an opportunity to enhance our digital presence and products, including our free emailed newsletter which readers may sign up to receive on our website, PikesPeakBulletin.org.
There is a vital role for an alternative voice in the Pikes Peak region, and the Bulletin has the expert writers and grassroots community spirit to be that voice. Right now, we have a solid strategic plan to scale up into a viable business. What we need most right now are capital funds to make the jump from here to there. Anyone who wants to back this worthy endeavor may call the Pikes Peak Bulletin at 719-310-9439.
Dear readers,
This will be the last print edition of the Pikes Peak Bulletin until we can stabilize our funding.
We have run into a repeating issue of being told we will receive grant or donor funding and then it being delayed indefinitely, combined with a worsening advertising megadrought. While we still have our subscribers and a few loyal advertisers, it’s not enough to keep the Bulletin viable. Not even close.
When you’re in a hole, stop digging.
We have experienced a surge in online readership in recent months – but attention and appreciation have not translated into sufficient dollars. Our online crowdfunding campaign brought in about $10,000, plus a $5,000 ad prepay. Most of the donations were between $25 and $100, and a salon owner came up with her own fundraiser for the Bulletin. This shows our grassroots support is real – and also illustrates why so many newspapers today are owned and subsidized by the very wealthy.
The old news business model of revenue from advertisers and subscribers is gone, largely due to the rise of the internet, and there is not yet a solid model to replace it. Currently, grant funding is insufficient – especially with canceled federal grants, the rescission of funds for public media, and a greater number of hungry organizations competing for a bite of the picked-over funding pie.
Running even a small community newspaper is expensive. Add to that, we’ve brought in top-notch reporters to deliver the highest caliber of investigative reporting, hyperlocal news and stories celebrating arts and culture, student achievements, the unique local businesses and nonprofits that make our area special, and more. We are proud of the work we have done, proud of our service to readers, and determined to continue.
Right now, we are in a financial hole. As the Law of Holes states: when you’re in a hole, stop digging. This does not mean we have given up. We will continue to seek a path forward to serve the community with stories that inform and connect. That will depend in part on who decides the Bulletin is worth saving – and also on our ability to adapt to a changing media landscape by enhancing our digital news site, offering newsletters and other online resources, and finding new, innovative ways to engage with the broader community.
The old news business model is gone, but the need for trusted local journalism has only increased. If a way can be found, we’ll find it – together.
In hope and community,
Lyn Ettinger-Harwell Publisher
Heila Ershadi Managing Editor
