Going Independent and Preparing a New Zine Issue
Highlights of our weekly coverage plus bonus content.
As we’ve decided to go independent and lost previous funding we used to benefit from, we’ve been mulling whether to become an LCC, a non-profit, a for-profit with ads or paid promotions, or to join forces with other locals for a news community collective.
All ideas are welcome.
We’ve never asked for money previously from the community in our seven years of existence, but we do believe we offer local value now with our reach and conversation starters, nearly 17k followers on Instagram, over 10k on Facebook and 7k on TikTok, which is more than several long standing much bigger local media outlets, a podcast with over 250 episodes, several videos with over 100k views, as well as the kind of posts and articles we regularly offer, such as promoting local businesses, thought leaders, artists, event planners, non-profits, workers of Reno, those who do good in the community, green initiatives, ideas for progress, those who have legitimate concerns and those whose voices are often ignored or distorted.
We started the project with the documentary Invisible Girl telling the story of the beginnings of the Eddy House, and pursued it with a website as a post by post running documentary and then different social media channels.
We pay special attention to those struggling as Reno hurtles through change, growth and new developments, because we believe it’s important not to discard anyone among our neighbors, and rather to elevate them to better hear their challenges so we can #helpeachother.
So if you feel so inclined, and if you are able to, we would love for you to join us on this hyperlocal community collective media journey as a financial contributor.
Money contributed and received would go towards paying the local artist/writer for our new zine issue (with cover already finished above), keeping up our website, and also paying street reporters, some of whom are unhoused or were previously unhoused, for content they provide.
We have several mechanisms to contribute if you’d like: a safe credit card payment via the Our Town Reno Substack, with a “pledge” of your choice by clicking on “upgrade to paid.”
We also have a monthly Facebook subscription button on the Our Town Reno Facebook which we’ve set at $2.99 per month, which gets you in a private group, where we can discuss story ideas and the future direction of this initiative.
The link for that can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/becomesupporter/ourtownreno/ or by finding the blue Subscribe button at the top right of our Facebook page below our banner.
Finally we have an @ourtownreno Venmo if you like using Venmo for any contribution you’d like to make.
Thank you for being followers of this endeavor and for all your support, comments, likes and from some of you photos, videos, essays, news alerts and new ideas on how to make Reno a better and more caring place.
Our Reporting Highlights This Week
What’s That Construction Project? The stalled Reno City Center
Share Your Story with Susan at the Downtown Library, Charging her Phone for Love
Experiencing the Downtown Reno Library as a Host for Share Your Story
