From the Editor: Now more than ever, The Bee needs your help
In a profession where praise is short, receiving thanks from a respected journalist and former boss can go a long way.
“You have done an excellent — way more than excellent — job of giving readers up-to-date and useful information through this crazy and scary time. I can honestly say I don’t remember such complete and useful coverage, in print and online, during any of the ‘big’ stories in the last 30 years. Terrific effort and you can be sure all readers appreciate it.”
The heartfelt words were uplifting and a result of our newsroom’s intense coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and its chilling impact throughout Stanislaus County. It came at a time when, like most of you, our reporters, photographers and editors go to sleep stressed and exhausted from all that is happening, and awaken a few hours later feeling the same.
Over the last two months, we at The Bee have worked tirelessly — and remotely — to bring you informative, useful, important and up-to-the minute coverage of the coronavirus pandemic that is killing people and crippling our local economy.
In March, we wrote nearly 300 stories, the majority tied to coronavirus. That was about 100 more than we published in February. Our March page views totaled more than January and February combined.
No news organization in the area has come close to the breadth and scope of coverage over the last two months. We answered your questions. We followed your tips. We continue to highlight the good deeds all around us. We are grateful to be your go-to source in Modesto and Stanislaus County.
We are with you — and there for you — every day.
But our coverage can’t continue without you.
Newspaper industry headlines last week included the words layoffs, furloughs and pay cuts. Some local shops simply closed. The New York Times? The Washington Post? They’ll be fine. It’s local news organizations that are deeply hurting.
And it’s subscriptions — and funding from gracious foundations, agencies and donors large and small — that will lift us forward and allow us to do what we do best: provide local news and information to area residents. It’s our goal, our mission.
In 2019, the Stanislaus Community Foundation and the Stanislaus County Office of Education complemented the support of Report for America to fund a children’s health reporter. Little did we know Dr. ChrisAnna Mink — a pediatric infectious disease specialist — would become even more valuable in alerting us early to the coronavirus. More than two months ago, ChrisAnna and I hosted a Q&A on YouTube offering information on COVID-19 and tips to residents on how to avoid contracting the deadly disease. She’s helped teach and guide us on a lot of the issues.
That brings us to my first ask.
A grant proposal for a reporter in Modesto to cover economic development in and around Stanislaus County was approved last winter. Report for America will fund half of her salary. We are looking for help to fund the other half. Our new reporter, who accepted our offer last week and who starts in June, becomes even more critical with the imminent challenge local businesses will face post-coronavius.
You can donate to support her through RFA at bit.ly/ModbeeRFA or through the Stanislaus Community Foundation, a champion of local journalism and local economic development.
And now, to my second ask.
As part of our mission to serve the community, we dropped the metered paywall for a month on all of our coverage surrounding coronavirus. It was the right thing to do. However, as businesses have shut down, our advertising revenue has plummeted. It is time to turn the paywall back on for the majority of our coronavirus stories. It will be lifted for most breaking news we feel is imperative to the community.
Simply, we need all readers to subscribe, to begin paying for the reporting that takes real people and real resources to produce. Thank you to all of those who do. We could not serve Stanislaus County residents without you. To those who don’t, give us a chance. You can do so at modbee.com/subscribe.
Certainly, we’re worth the investment.
We learned last week that our reporters and photographers won 19 state and regional journalism awards for our 2019 coverage. That comes a month after we welcomed a new reporter to our newsroom. Kristin Lam will provide deeper coverage throughout Stanislaus County.
In January, we worked tirelessly on election coverage that included televised forums on multiple key races and the Debate at the State, bringing together the District 10 Congressional candidates for a lively conversation before a sold-out State Theatre. Over the next two months, we both set the table and took you through our current crisis.
Nobody will deliver news about Modesto and Stanislaus County as thoroughly as The Bee.
But we can’t do it without you. We need your help.
This story was originally published April 3, 2020 at 2:28 PM.
