Hello everyone.
When I’m not working at Mission Local, I’m usually keeping an eye on my three kids. Work, kids — that’s pretty much it.
Truth be told, these blend together. Often I’ll work at home and the kids play in the next room. Sometimes you can tell that there are things going on in that next room that wouldn’t be going on if you, too, were in the next room. Not necessarily good things. But, especially when you’re busy, you don’t go there until you hear a thud, a crash, and a scream.
Which brings me to my subject of raising money for Mission Local, our overachieving news nonprofit. Many of you have donated — thank you for that. Many of you probably mean to — thank you, too. You’re on the right track.
But many people don’t make those donations until things get to an uncomfortable place. I get it: You’re waiting for the thud, crash, and scream.
If that’s what it takes, please allow me to provide that via this email: thud, crash, scream.
The vast majority of the money it takes to pay our rent and pay our reporters comes from donations like yours. I’m happy to put beer in the fridge for the staff — but they can’t work for beer alone. Or the satisfaction of a job well done. And, you know: They shouldn’t.
But they earn both of these. Mission Local reporters go places others don’t so they get the stories others don’t. That’s how on-the-ground reporting for a story that could’ve been written from a press release about a fire in a public housing complex becomes a deeply reported exposé about life in a neglected project which inspires government hearings.
That’s how you break the big stories and debunk crass opportunism.
I don’t think you can be fully informed about what’s going on in San Francisco if you don’t read Mission Local. I’d like to think we’re in agreement here.
So, if you’ll forgive a bit of crass opportunism on my part, please do consider funding our work. We can’t do it without you.
And, once more with feeling: thud, crash scream.
Thank you kindly,
Joe