The El Dorado (Arkansas) News-Times has announced a partnership with the Community Foundation to launch a new Community Journalism Project.
The project was announced by WEHCO President Mark Lane along with General Manager Robyn Yarbo and Managing Editor Jason Hopkins.
Lane said this project has been in the works for several years with versions already launched at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Texarkana Gazette and Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
All three papers in the Golden Triangle, El Dorado News-Times, Camden News and Magnolia Banner-News, will be launching their own Community Journalism Project, which will create an opportunity for members of the community to donate to help with funding local reporting in their communities.
“The El Dorado News-Times Community Journalism Project is an important step in strengthening the voice of our community so that we can tell your stories for years to come,” said Yarbo. “We know how important our work is to you and the impact it makes in our community. Whether it is covering crime, education, healthcare, Friday night football or digging deep with investigative reporting, our dedication to this community is unwavering. I am proud of the work we do every day and the difference we make in our communities daily life.
“While newspapers across the country have closed, we are still here working toward a path to sustainability. All donations stay in El Dorado and 100% of all donations are exclusively for the newsroom. I am thankful for the early support we have received from our community and look forward to serving this community for many years to come.
“Thank you for supporting the El Dorado News-Times.”
Stacy Miller, director of development of the project, said 55 million people in the United States have limited or no access to local news, but the El Dorado News-Times remains a family-owned premiere local news source in operation since 1889 with a dedication to putting readers first.
“The public has so many news sources available today literally in their pocket, at their fingertips, and it's important because not all news sources are created equal,” said Miller. “The News-Times has proven again and again that we're not just a news outlet, but a guardian of transparency, accountability and democracy.”
“The struggles in our industry are not a secret,” said Miller. “We've seen newspapers across the country dramatically reducing their newsroom staff and unfortunately some of them also have had to close their doors, but our owners have remained dedicated to having a robust newsroom and keeping keeping the news going strong. However, to to ensure that we continue to do this, we are going to need support from readers.”
The new project aims to create a fund of community donations intended to help fund the News Times in their effort to continue to create community focused, lasting and impactful stories for the El Dorado community and Union County as a whole.
According to Lane, projects of this type are not unique to WEHCO, but have been launched at newspapers such as The Seattle Times, The Post and Courier (Charleston, South Carolina), and Tampa Bay Times.
“Newspapers across the country face real financial challenges,” Hopkins said. “The advertising market that once funded the majority of operations has shifted dramatically. The media landscape continues to evolve, and traditional business models no longer provide the stability they once did.
“Despite those headwinds, the News-Times has remained committed to local journalism. But doing so isn't easy. In communities just like ours, newsrooms have shrunk, or shuttered altogether. Fewer reporters means fewer eyes on public meetings, fewer voices lifted from underserved communities and fewer watchdogs holding the powerful accountable.
“We have no intention of letting our efforts in this space lapse.”
Hopkins said reporters need to take time to dig and find answers, which means that while stories in the News-Times might not be released as quickly as people would like, getting those questions answered and publishing factual content is priority.
“We continue to grind until our questions are answered and those are the stories that make an impact,” said Hopkins. “Those are the stories that when you read it, that's an article that affects your own life in some way, and that's what we are. We're more than a press release.”
Miller said journalism has a cost in the time to cover a story as well as the expertise to understand the details and research the questions.
“The pool of experienced journalists is smaller and the the demand is still there for for quality news,” said Miller. “These donations to the community journalism project will help the El Dorado News-Times retain and recruit journalists who produce the stories that make a difference and dig deeper.”
For more information about the Community Journalism Project in El Dorado you can visit eldoradojournalism.org.
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