Nearly five years ago, we launched The Sacramento Press. It was a laboratory for local news with huge aspirations. It was also a business. And over the last five years, staff sizes have ranged from three people and some interns, to 25 employees! Each time we grew or shrank, we were trying to find the right fit for a profitable and sustainable business.
These days Sac Press is run by a fantastic but very small crew. Yet even now, I’m struggling to make it work as a business. My No. 1 goal is to keep The Sacramento Press alive and serving the needs of those who read it and contribute to it – and I’ll keep doing that.
I’m sure there are a great many who don’t care if we survive, and a number of people who would rather we just fold it up. But I’m pretty sure there are a couple people who do care and would rather we carry on and even expand.
Here is the current situation: We will still feature great content, still serve our advertisers’ needs and still moderate the site. We cannot afford more than one salaried employee, so we will rely more heavily on freelancers. For now, Jared Goyette continues as editor as we feel strong content is of the highest priority. However, I’m open to your suggestions about what you think the future should be. I’m coming to you, the core of our community, for ideas and inspiration.
Perhaps the community that supports The Sacramento Press should form a co-op. Perhaps we should convert to a nonprofit. Or perhaps there is someone who would like to partner with us. I’m even open to the possibility of selling Sac Press – but only to someone who will continue to serve our community.
In the meantime, I will be taking a more active role moderating, meeting with our business partners and supporters and working closely with Jared. Feel free to let me know what you think – just email me: ben (at) sacramentopress.com.
P.S. We’ve got some really cool news about The Sacramento Press platform coming soon. Stay tuned!
