I have always believed that a newspaper should be a marketplace of ideas — a forum for the community to express its views and opinions.
That has certainly happened on my last blog, titled ?Don?t beat up the county about beach access ? there are better ways to spend our time.?
And that is good.
To set the record straight, I certainly am not putting down the current effort to get folks involved in the process of ORV rulemaking.
However, I believe that the organizing and fundraising effort should start now to gear up for the public comment on the draft Environmental Impact Statement and preferred alternative for the rule. And eventually to address the final rule in the courts, if that is necessary.
Others who have posted on the blog disagree.
And that is their right, of course. However, I believe that the organizing and fundraising effort should start now to gear up for the public comment on the draft Environmental Impact Statement and preferred alternative for the rule. And eventually to address the final rule in the courts, if that is necessary.
Others who have posted on the blog disagree.
And that is their right, of course.
I hope you will judge me and The Island Free Press on my body of work and not by one column.
I have been writing about the beach access issue almost since the day I moved to Hatteras in 1991. I first wrote about it in The Island Breeze, which I edited for 16 years before I parted ways with The Virginian-Pilot and started The Island Free Press in 2007. I have written numerous articles supporting beach access and transparency in the process and opposing the consent decree. Last year, I backed the failed attempt at legislation in Congress. I also attended most of the negotiated rulemaking committee meetings. And, believe me, that was no fun.
All of these articles are available in The Island Free Press Archives.
It’s my guess that I will be writing about these issues until I retire or die!
Our faithful readers see the Free Press as a place to keep on community events and news, and visitors see it as a way to keep in touch with the island and our issues while they are back home.
Many island businesses have supported this publication with advertising. It pays for our work on access and other issues.
Most of them see the Free Press as the best way to reach their customers — residents, off-island property owners, and visitors. About 75 percent of our readers do not live on Hatteras or Ocracoke.
Some others don’t usually advertise or don’t need to advertise, but want to support our work on the access issue.
From Jan. 1 through June 15 of this year, The Island Free Press had 340,000 visitors from 73,000 unique IP addresses.
May not be CNN, but it’s not too shabby for a local newspaper that is not yet two years old.
I hope you all will keep reading and keep expressing your opinions. That’s why we are here.
5 Comments
-
Irene, thank you. Thank you for telling the painfull truth. That is not easy to do.
-
Amen, Irene. That is what it?s going to take?.dedication, steadfastness and perseverance!
-
Without Island Free Press, those of us who live at places beyond the Outer Banks and who cherish access to our national seashore and our association with the surrounding communities would have no connection or association with the current crisis. Island Free Press has journaled this denial of access disaster completely and honestly from the beginning. Irene has provided a service not only to her immediate community, but for thousands of us “visitors” from around the county and world.
-
You make several good points ? especially about raising money and fighting this idiocy in the courts when it becomes practical and necessary. Please continue your coverage and fair reporting of events. Many journalists are not so honest. I realize that some of my musings and suggestions (some of which have not made it to print) are a bit on the radical side, but I say what I feel and these people bring out the worst in a logical, reason based scientist and Renaissance person like myself. If I were only well off enough, financially to be of much help I would donate a large sum to the fight. As it is I can only stand on the sidelines and cheer everyone else on. My best wishes and good luck.
Bert -
The printed papers we still have around on the islands were always in my opinion ?A day late and a $ short?. Stuff was always dated when published only 3X a week or monthly in one case.
IFP has resulted in rapid, accurate info that is vastly helping to get news of what is happening on the islands out quickly.
Thanks Irene for starting the IFP.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Irene, thank you. Thank you for telling the painfull truth. That is not easy to do.
Amen, Irene. That is what it?s going to take?.dedication, steadfastness and perseverance!
Without Island Free Press, those of us who live at places beyond the Outer Banks and who cherish access to our national seashore and our association with the surrounding communities would have no connection or association with the current crisis. Island Free Press has journaled this denial of access disaster completely and honestly from the beginning. Irene has provided a service not only to her immediate community, but for thousands of us “visitors” from around the county and world.
You make several good points ? especially about raising money and fighting this idiocy in the courts when it becomes practical and necessary. Please continue your coverage and fair reporting of events. Many journalists are not so honest. I realize that some of my musings and suggestions (some of which have not made it to print) are a bit on the radical side, but I say what I feel and these people bring out the worst in a logical, reason based scientist and Renaissance person like myself. If I were only well off enough, financially to be of much help I would donate a large sum to the fight. As it is I can only stand on the sidelines and cheer everyone else on. My best wishes and good luck.
Bert
The printed papers we still have around on the islands were always in my opinion ?A day late and a $ short?. Stuff was always dated when published only 3X a week or monthly in one case.
IFP has resulted in rapid, accurate info that is vastly helping to get news of what is happening on the islands out quickly.
Thanks Irene for starting the IFP.