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I want to share a little about how @sprawlcalgary is changing amid tumultuous times in the news industry. This week our team realized that we& #39;re not really a "pop-up journalism" outfit anymore. We& #39;re more than that, thanks to our members (1,040 and counting!). THREAD
Right now many news orgs are scaling back on staff and freelancers. It& #39;s dire. We& #39;re very fortunate to be going the other way, thanks to our members. We& #39;ve increased our freelance budget in recent months, which means we can do more stories like this. https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/pandemic-life-alberta-1918">https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/pandemic-...
Our model is also changing. We still don& #39;t do press release journalism. We do slow journalism that goes beyond the daily news grind—like the latest Sprawlcast. But we& #39;ve outgrown the model of ONLY doing "pop-up editions" focused on one thing at a time. https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/shandro-fiasco ">https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/shandro-f...
We& #39;ll keep doing editions on specific issues, but they& #39;ll be layered on top of the rest of the work we& #39;re already doing. Local public affairs journalism you won& #39;t find anywhere else. Sprawlcasts, in-depth reportage, and incisive analysis like this. https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/ministerial-responsibility-alberta">https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/ministeri...
And comics! I love how @calgaryhester& #39;s pandemic comics have become such an integral part of the Sprawl, giving people a sense of hope and connection when they need it most. Thanks to our members, Sam& #39;s comic is now weekly, running every Saturday. https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/pandemic-gardening-calgary">https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/pandemic-...
Oh, and let& #39;s talk Sprawl Kids! It& #39;ll be an ongoing thing now, woven into the rest of our work. Pretty much everything we cover has a kids element—it& #39;s just that kids aren& #39;t usually asked. We& #39;re asking them. And we& #39;re making it fun. https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/sprawl-kids-lets-make-a-radio-show">https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/sprawl-ki...
In the early days, I& #39;d ask: is the Sprawl just me, or more than me? That question is answered. It& #39;s much more than me. It& #39;s @XiMeNaKa (assistant editor). It& #39;s @calgaryhester (comics). It& #39;s @chrispecora (art director). It& #39;s our freelancers. And most importantly, it& #39;s our members.
Together, we& #39;ve shown that yes, there& #39;s another way of doing local journalism—and people will support it. Not because they HAVE to, but because they WANT to. Because they want to be part of something bigger (don& #39;t we all?!).
If you have any feedback on this, lemme know! We& #39;re here to listen. And if you& #39;re not a member, please consider it. Everything in this thread was published in the last 10 days—thanks to people pitching in $5 or $10/mo.
Okay, have a good weekend! /end https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/support ">https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/support&q...
Okay, have a good weekend! /end https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/support ">https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/support&q...
