Were extending our hand ready to meet people and learn how we can serve them.. News organizations seeking to measure their websites success typically have focused on two metrics: page views and time spent on the site. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. That included current print editions of the Waterbury, Connecticut-based Republican-American and the Lakeville Journal of nearby Lakeville, Connecticut, as well as The Hartford Courant, USA Today and the robust daily newspapers of New York City, which is about a two-hour drive away. On a recent visit to Winsted, the local Stop & Shop supermarket was stocked with seven print newspapers. Wikiwand is the world's leading Wikipedia reader for web and mobile. Welcome to the City of Winsted. The paper was founded by Ralph Nader in 2022. But the reality of running a good and worthy local newspaper remains a week-in, week-out slog, regardless of ownership (independent or group) or structure (non-profit or for-profit), and it is nearly impossible to sustain in the long run without truly creative approaches (new partnerships, new paths for original content, clear and sustained government support of a local/municipal news apparatus and absolute support of legal notices). Nader rose to fame in the 1960s when his consumer advocacy led to new automobile regulations, like mandatory seatbelts. Absolutely, well be going digital, he said. It is forming a 501(c)3 non-profit, enabling it to collect tax-deductible donations in addition to subscription and advertising revenue. Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comments from Ralph Nader and to clarify Andy Thibault said he budgeted about $30,000 for the cost of each monthly edition. | Nader hopes so. Starting a news organization is never easy, but the Citizen hit a brief speed bump. If Nader has his way, the website will be a sideshow to the printed main event, as he believes digital publications fail to engage readers because theyre too cluttered and abbreviated. The Journal is among an estimated 2,500 newspapers that have closed in the United States since 2005, all but about 100 non-dailies, according to a report issued last year by the Northwestern/Medill Local News Initiative. The newspaper continued on and merged with the Torrington Register on Jan. 3, 1984. Every year you don't have a newspaper, you lose that connection., Nader invested $15,000 and hired a veteran Connecticut journalist, Andy Thibault, to get the Citizen started. Columnist Susan Campbell reflects on how the Titan story continues the shallow media fascination with documenting the deaths of the privileged. Nader will gauge interest from the community based on the pilot. On February 3rd, 1,000 copies of the inaugural issue of the Winsted Citizen were mailed by Trumbull Printing to households in our circulation area. He's originally from the Bronx, but spent the last decade in Florida writing about everything from politics to Disney and tracing the steps of cultural icons like Jack Kerouac. He is a veteran journalist and editor and held that position at various Connecticut newspapers, including The Hartford Courant. The Citizen is also available at multiple locations throughout the community. At age 88, Nader is still going strong and, beginning with his hometown in northwest Connecticut, hes determined to do something about the news desert crisis in local journalism. 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Before he launched The Winsted Citizen, Nader also backed the Capitol Hill Citizen, a new print newspaper in Washington, D.C., that similarly eschews what Nader calls the internet gulag. Uptake has been slow, he said, but those who read it appreciate the nonofficial-source journalism that he contrasts with the content of competing publications like The Hill and Politico. A new voice for quality journalism in Southern California, HBCU Student Reporting Network gives student journalists new opportunities, Reporting on poverty and food insecurity. Before that, Burns served as Editorial Board member, columnist and business editor at the Chicago Tribune and as a reporter for BusinessWeek magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times. It will be distributed to most of the households by hand, in print, and stacked up in certain retail stores, Nader said. | RT @WinstedCitizen: Via @whatworks_nu Future of Local News Northeastern's School of Journalism: The Winsted Citizen: 'A Productive & Ongoing Relationship' w . Oh, yeah, he said. The local evening newspaper that Nader delivered as a young paperboy shut down years ago, and other Winsted-based community-news outlets also folded over the years. I told him and his lawyer we might as well disembowel ourselves. But Thibault was adamant to not delay publishing the second edition. More than 100 guests had gathered in the American Museum of Tort Law in Winsted, Connecticut, to celebrate the launch of the Winsted Citizen for a community hungry for news. It only takes a handful of people to make it happen" And, in the future, could he launch more newspapers in the mold of The Citizen? The rate for a standard annual print subscription is $25, while friends are asked to pay $50 plus $5 more if they subscribe online. Winsted had its own paper, the Winsted Journal, up until 2017. The first announcement about the Citizen stated it would publish a pilot issue first. Greg Burns Together, Thibault and his colleagues have rallied support and laid plans for ambitious local stories befitting a highly experienced newsroom. 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Nader, meantime, said he has chipped in $15,000 to get the first issue of The Winsted Citizen out the door. The paper's digital presence is minimal, although it does publish The Winsted Citizen Blog. It will turn heads because its Ralph Nader, she said. Browse Register Citizen obituaries, conduct other obituary searches, offer condolences/tributes, send flowers or create an online memorial. Copyright 2019-2023 Northwestern University. You can try. Winsted is a pretty good news town. Meet the new guy. Lets face it, most weeklies are dull and routine. So at a time. Liz Dupont-Diehl, a reporter for the Citizen said, "This is another example of how broken the business model of journalism has become. Due to our new system upgrade, we are requesting all existing users to update their password. Get the Poynter newsletter that's right for you. Thats about where the conventional part of The Winsted Citizen game plan comes to an end. We all know the revenue model is broken. the relationship At a time that local newspapers are dying at an alarming rate, longtime activist Ralph Nader is helping give birth to one. Thank you, Ralph Nader. Please log in to comment by clicking here. Thibault and Nader said the Winsted Citizen will serve Winsted, Hartland, Riverton, Colebrook, Norfolk and New Hartford. But conventional wisdom isnt always correct.. He once nearly sent himself to the hospital after eating the worlds spiciest ice cream for journalism. For Rosemary Scanlon, a local realtor who serves as The Winsted Citizens circulation and advertising director, the print-centric approach has limits. Forgot your Litchfield retirees whove move away, she said, have told her they enjoy being able to get digital-only subscriptions to keep up with news. I came to the conclusion theres no community in the country that cant support a weekly newspaper. Media can engage Millennials and Gen Z in community discussion. The depiction of Winsted as a news desert has grated on some. Winsted, however, has a median household income of $58,661 and a poverty rate of 17.4%, making it poorer than the U.S. average, according to Abernathys research. Nader, a Winsted native, sees the area as a news vacuum. Residents dont know whats going onin local government andschools, and there's a dearth of information about local issues. After initially announcing that The Winsted Citizen would begin with a single, inaugural edition and then continue as a weekly publication only if local support materialized, a Plan B has emerged. Nader, a Winsted native, sees the area as a "news vacuum.". Thibault said what the paper needed to sustain itself was six months of funding and twice as much for each of those months than the first edition (January 2023). Ralph Nader launches newspaper in Connecticut town Winsted, Connecticut Population 2023 - World Population Review Winsted is home to the American Mural Project, an arts organization that houses what it describes as the worlds largest indoor collaborative artwork. It only takes a handful of people to make it happen.. Copies of the first edition of the Winsted Citizen are circulating around this old New England mill town, with stories about a newly-opened food co-op, a Methodist church closing after attendance lagged at services and the repair of a century-old bridge. We have a steady reporter in Winsted and we have some correspondents who cross over into Winsted, Anne Karolyi, managing editor for the Waterbury-based Republican-American, said in January. E&P's first article about the Winsted Citizen, "The Winsted Citizen: Ralph Nader's gift to his hometown," published Feb. 27th, stated Winsted had been without a newspaper since 2017. "It is true we published the second edition of the Citizen without receiving the funding we were promised for 75% of the cost. The first issue includes a lengthy profile of a successful local basketball coach and a story about a project to paint a five-story mural in two abandoned mill buildings. Although it will also have an online presence, Nader said the print edition will be the most important because it has the potential to reach more people. With two issues on the streets, Thibault, his staff and the board of directors were ebullient about what had been accomplished to date and the bright future everyone was anticipating. Its successor, The Winsted Voice, closed about 20 years ago. You cant have a community without a newspaper. To try and re-establish the community after three years of Covid is on everyones mind, said Almquist, a photographer and former art-gallery owner. The first 35 subscribers and all 192 Connecticut public libraries were included in the initial mailing. Among other disadvantages including the small amount of capital being invested at the outset -The Citizen will need to overcome demographics in Winsted that make it extra tough to start up a news outlet, according to Penelope Abernathy, a visiting professor at Medill who leads the schools News Desert research. Over the past decade, its finance director was convicted of embezzling public funds, the state took over its chronically underfunded school system and a lack of maintenance led to dangerous problems with aging infrastructure, including a well-traveled bridge. He splits time now between Winsted and Washington, D.C. Bob Sillick has held senior positions and served a myriad of clients during his 47 years in marketing and advertising. He said hes already amassing a team of local journalists and is still hiring. Thibault said he supplied Nader and his team with detailed budgets. 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Nader also said the paper will have a digital presence but focus on its print product at a time when trends in the journalism industry lean heavily toward digital. Winsted is also where Ralph Nader was born and delivered the local newspaper as a boy, and the Citizen is his gift to his hometown, which had become a news desert. My word is good.. The plan changed to a monthly edition. "I am confident our readership will increase with every passing day, leading to more revenue. So at a time. Fewer than one third of Americans believe that local news media hold public officials accountable, a finding that calls into question whether local journalism is research When the institution itself can't make it then it falls on the community leaders to take up the challenge, Nader said Tuesday morning. Thibault, Managing Editor Melanie Ollett and a staff of respected and widely published reporters, photographers and contributors are reporting on important local news and events. Todd Arcelaschi, the mayor, was there, and so was Joshua Steele Kelly, the town manager. A unique collaboration to support diverse media, A 135-year-old newspaper is resurrected in southwestern Pennsylvania, Kristin Bausch and Chris Vazquez join The Marshall Project as audience engagement producers, The New York Times announces a promotion for Tahirah Burley, Eva McKend promoted to correspondent covering national politics for CNN Worldwide, David Culver promoted to senior national correspondent for CNN Worldwide, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. Nader,. The pilot edition of The Winsted Citizenis slated for publication in early 2023. Youve got people in Norfolk who could support the whole thing themselves, he said. There are quite a few successful for-profit and nonprofit business models for news outlets serving affluent communities, she noted. As Nader Runs, Winsted Still Waits For Its Favorite Son NEW YORK (AP) At age 88, Ralph Nader believes his neighbors in northwest Connecticut are tired of electronics and miss the feel of holding a newspaper to read about their town. It will be based in an office on Main Street in Winsted. This way, it wont be one-and-done a worst-case scenario from Thibaults point of view while at the same time it will be keeping expectations realistic for staffers who already know they wont get rich from the project even if it succeeds. Town faces 'avalanche of consequences'. Hes counting on it, and hes dismissive of those who claim a newly minted print newspaper in a small, economically challenged town cant possibly succeed without a Daddy Warbucks donor. The Winsted resident . The paper is on a respirator: Winsteds new Ralph Nader-backed newspaper in financial peril after two issues, publisher says, CT electric consumers to see lower rates starting Saturday. Nader, a Winsted native, told the Hartford Business Journal in January that Winsted is a news vacuum in Litchfield County. He teaches news basic reporting/writing, investigative reporting and communication at the University of New Haven in West Haven and previously worked for the Rep-Am. password ? Create a new password. Cowgill said he suspects the Citizen's best chance for long-term success is whether Nader can trade on his celebrity for foundation grants. But data collected research A recent survey received more than 100 suggestions for valuable research. moments. Newspaper giant Gannett ends print runs for many local weeklies in Mass. Nader recalls delivering newspapers for The Winsted Evening News when he was a kid. Our warm, friendly residents take great pride in Winsted's uniqueness and . At the time, local journalists pushed back on the assertion, but welcomed more coverage. Solutions for journalists are sparse. According to Thibault, Nader wanted to launch a pilot edition and then wait six to eight weeks to gauge community reaction before the second. If it works, it will be a good model for the rest of the country, said Nader, who as a youngster delivered a long-gone Winsted daily paper in his hometown. It will be based in an office on Main Street in Winsted. So at a time that local newspapers are dying at an alarming rate, the longtime activist is helping give birth to one. You can't read about it. Last month, Block research There was also a roundup of all the local breweries and a special feature, The Beer Whisperer, with tips about how to enjoy a brewery visit. Thibault was to get $5,000 and the rest would go to production, he said. Ralph Nader is starting a newspaper. Its just a lack of imagination and organization. The motto is: Democracy Dies in Broad Daylight.. Thibault is recruiting staff for The Winsted Citizen. You can tell the health of the community by the health of its newspaper. Most nonprofit local news startups these days are digital. That's pretty severe.. The community hasn't had a newspaper since 2017, so Ralph Nader, famed political and social activist, decided to gift his hometown The Winsted Citizen. None of those stories went unreported. It's different coverage when a town has its own newspaper than when you have a daily coming in to cover it, said Janet Manko, publisher and editor-in-chief of another Connecticut weekly, the Lakeville Journal, which also published the Winsted Journal before it closed. There was a frank and open discussion of issues to make the paper whole. To try and re-establish the community after three years of COVID is on everyones mind, said Almquist, a photographer and former art gallery owner. Jennifer Almquist, a contributor to The Winsted Citizen and resident of a nearby town, said the newspapers launch has helped to rally a community still beaten down by the pandemic. The Torrington Register-Citizen regularly covers Winsted as well. In order to use this feature, we need some information from you. Usually respected and always determined, Ralph Nader is now fighting Winsted, however, has a median household income of $58,661 and a poverty rate of 17.4%, making it poorer than the U.S. average, according to Abernathys research. Hes counting on it, and hes dismissive of those who claim a newly minted print newspaper in a small, economically challenged town cant possibly succeed without a Daddy Warbucks donor. At a time that local newspapers are dying at an alarming rate, longtime activist Ralph Nader is helping give birth to one. There's a greater recognition of the need for a smart business plan, instead of just a passion project. The CT e-bike incentive has arrived. He can be reached at bobsillick@gmail.com. Nader is optimistic that donations will be a significant revenue source. We want to earn everyone's trust and respect. If its important to you, its important to us, Thibault said. CT '23 SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT: New newspaper launches in Winsted INTERVIEW - The New York Times Editors Note: This article is a follow-up to our original story which went out on February 27th. Weekend in Norfolk was another feature article in the inaugural edition, with news and information about art, music, theater and dining. The Winsted Citizen: Ralph Nader's gift to his hometown With an April issue en route, though, its not clear how he plans to keep the paper afloat without further backing from Nader. Its just a lack of imagination and organization. "We''ll be publishing work by reporters who have established themselves in Connecticut as tops in our field.". She hugged the person who gave her the extra papers. You can also login or register for a free account. He has been a freelance/contract content researcher, writer, editor and manager since 2010. Bring your humanity, The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Partnering with news organizations, hosting fellowships and covering nonprofits and charities since 1988. At a time when newspapers are cutting back and closing at a rate of two per week, according to Poynter, Nader believes there is pent-up demand for news reporting in this pocket of Litchfield County and plenty of stories to be written. Her father's obituary was in the first issue, her nephew was quoted in another story and a third featured her workplace. Winstead's / w n s t d z / is a hamburger chain based in Kansas City, Missouri.The chain opened in 1940 and has two locations in Kansas and Missouri. Delivering Vital Marketplace Content and Context to Senior Decision Makers Throughout Greater Hartford and the State All Year Long! As with many things throughout Mr. Naders career, this venture is flying against conventional wisdom. According to Scanlon, the Citizen team has revamped its advertising rates to incentivize local businesses to advertise in the paper. Subscriptions and advertising are the immediate targets to generate revenue, but as a 501(c) 3 nonprofit, it will also explore resources available through grants and from foundations a process that has already started. New findings on news deserts, shifting business models and what needs to Dont miss out - subscribe today. I agree with the premise that local news is vitally important and were going to continue to provide it in the county and greater Waterbury, all the way down to the valley. I came to the conclusion there's no community in the country that cant support a weekly newspaper. Billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong have written huge checks to fund their newspaper holdings. We all would like this to be a model of success, he said. Thibault said his sales team is working on ads and subscriptions and added the paper is looking into grants. Nader has also started a pilot project in Washington, D.C., called Capitol Hill Citizen, which launched in 2022 and is distributed nationally, only in print. Although it will also have an online presence, Nader said the print edition will be the most important because it has the potential to reach more people. I like print, said Terry Cowgill, a columnist for the CTNewsJunkie.com website. Thibault said he'd be making adjustments to keep the paper going. | Its part of Litchfield County, the least densely populated county in Connecticut. He once nearly sent himself to the hospital after eating the worlds spiciest ice cream for journalism. As of now, Nader states unequivocally, the town of 7,100 is a news desert where citizens are deprived of access to local coverage. Jan 31, 2023, Aging consumer activist launches print newspaper in his Connecticut hometown, by The Rep-Am has a dedicated Winsted reporter in Kurt Moffett. If you dont have a newspaper, you dont have the community connections that are almost too numerous to mention coming out of every edition. By clicking submit you are agreeing to our cookie usage and Privacy Policy, This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. The Winsted Citizen By Dean Pagani - December 26, 2022 Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Nader Consumer advocate Ralph Nader has enlisted the help of journalist Andy Thibault to launch a pilot edition of what they hope will become a weekly newspaper: The Winsted Citizen. Thibault said he plans to build an online presence. The advertising rate card lists a full-page, black-and-white ad for $675, though the cost was waived for advertisers in the first edition in the hope that local merchants and other supporters will pay in the future. Marriott Water Street in Tampa, Florida. He has been a freelance/contract content researcher, writer, editor and manager since 2010. The Winsted Citizen: Ralph Nader's Gift to His Hometown Nader grew up in a Winsted served by a six-days-a-week paper packed with foreign, national and local news, he said. Lets face it, most weeklies are dull and routine. While corporate monoliths have stripped many newspapers to the bone to increase profits, Nader said, he believes a newspaper can be self-sustaining if readers support it. Subscriptions and advertising are the immediate targets to generate revenue, but as a 501(c) 3 nonprofit, it will also explore resources available through grants and from foundations a process that has already started.
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