Happy New Year, Juneau. You may be working on your 2018 resolutions, and we are, too. We thought we’d share a few of them with you.
One big one: to continue our government watchdog role and accountability reporting. At the Juneau Empire we strive to hold those in power accountable, to expose corruption and conflict, to shine light on injustices and to give voice to the unheard.
Those are tall orders. But they’re also goals the Empire strives for nearly every day.
Though our main prerogative as the capital city’s sole newspaper is to report on local news, one only needs to look at headlines this week (“Drill, maybe drill: Federal government considers offshore oil drilling in Southeast;” “Alaska marijuana businesses vow to press on after Sessions’ decision”) to see that events on the national stage can and do affect our small town.
Research shows that when there’s a lack of watchdog reporting, there’s an increase in government corruption both at the local, state and national level. This is true in our experience, as well. In 2018, the Empire resolves to continue providing quality investigative reporting, while covering both the Alaska State Capitol and City Hall.
Just as important as our watchdog function is our role as a community newspaper. One of our 2018 resolutions is to try to connect more with our readers and community. In 2017, we spent a lot of time and effort looking inward, trying to improve the product that appears on your doorstep every morning. We will continue to make changes and adjustments, but we resolve to also look outward and connect with you. We’re excited about forging new partnerships and relationships.
One fun way we can do this right off the bat is by revamping our Membership Rewards program, which we’ve been working on for a few months now. That program provides our readers discounts at local businesses. You can expect your new membership rewards card in today’s newspaper, and an updated website with new deals coming soon. You can find the existing website, which lists out all the discounts, at http://rewards.juneauempire.com/. Tell your favorite retailer to contact caleb.comas@juneauempire.com 523-2222 to participate in the program.
As we head into the new year, we would like to solicit any feedback we can from readers. What do you want from the Empire in 2018? What can we do better? What else would you like to see?
The modern news climate is a challenging one, but that doesn’t mean we can’t innovate. We are dedicated to news, dedicated to truth, and dedicated to providing value to you, our readers. In 2018, we resolve anew to each day publish a newspaper that shows it.
