A reader commented to us that until recently, he didn’t look to us for breaking news reporting. He was absolutely right: That’s never been Moonshine’s modus operandi. But when we were all hurled into the new reality ruled by this novel crowned virus, we stepped up to the plate.
In the short time since the disease made its presence known in our region, we’ve moved in real-time. The team developed a dedicated coronavirus landing page (moonshineink.com/coronavirus), tracked every milestone in a live updates page, and produced 10 in-depth news reports, as well as a sundry of other COVID-19 coverage.
All done with a tiny staff.
“Editors of community newspapers, an often overlooked but critically important element of the U.S. media ecosystem, are frontline responders in the coronavirus crisis,” recently wrote the Poynter Institute, a renowned school for journalists, in an article that also mentions Moonshine Ink’s quest for transparency.
Our newspaper has always been about community first, journalism second, and business third. During a tumultuous time like this, these priorities seem in the right order. As many businesses have done, we are innovating as we go. In addition to the regular story-type coverage, we’ve partnered with KTKE, our local radio station, to bring Moonshine Minutes news reports to the airwaves and we’ve convened the community on pivotal conference calls about key present-day issues.
We’ve seen enthusiastic support for our metamorphosis. But we ardently need your help to keep going. If you’d like to see continued local coverage of the coronavirus, if you find value in quality local news, and if you believe that our democracy needs fortifying, become a member of Moonshine Ink.
