By: J Chapman, President, Woof Boom Radio, Inc.—
Muncie, IN—In 2015, a number of community leaders and organizations came together to form the concept of the Muncie Journal. On July 1, 2015, MuncieJournal.com launched for the public.
How we view ourselves and our community in large part determines the choices and decisions we make about our future. The Muncie Journal exists not only due to our founding partners, but the efforts of hundreds of community members and groups who continually submit important stories for consideration to be published in the Muncie Journal.
We tell those stories today because they weren’t always being told.
“The purpose of the Muncie Journal remains the same as when it started three years ago — Communicate news that focuses on our community’s progress in: (1) economic development, (2) education, and (3) quality of place. The Muncie Journal has published more than 2,400 stories in these areas. A significant number of those stories were submitted by a partner, user, or a local non-profit organization.”—J Chapman
To be clear – The Muncie Journal is fed, not-exclusively but in large part by user-generated content. The Muncie Journal is telling the stories that were not being told. The Muncie Journal is not part of the Fourth Estate.
A local newspaper can serve an important role. The framers of the Constitution penned the First Amendment creating space for the Fourth Estate. As such, the StarPress oftentimes fills an important role and reports on stories of wrong-doing, corruption, and general malfeasance. That is their chosen role; it is an important role, but it is not the role of the Muncie Journal.
The stories that don’t always make it in our local paper many times are published in the Muncie Journal. For example, one of our largest local banks reported record profits— a Muncie first ever startup weekend was held recently for local entrepreneurs—and the Ball Brothers Foundation awarded rapid grants totaling nearly $100,000 to Delaware County organizations.
If reading a John Carlson column brings a smile to your face; if a Mike Rhodes photograph of the United Way kickoff event makes you proud to be from Muncie; or if a story about the great things happening in Muncie Community Schools gives you a different perspective, then we are fulfilling our mission.
Yesterday, the StarPress printed a column calling into question the purpose of the Muncie Journal and that is their prerogative. It’s one thing to disagree with our purpose, but it appears self-serving to question how the Muncie Journal not only welcomes but invites partner and user-generated content —that has been clear and transparent from the Muncie Journal’s inception.
The Muncie Journal is published today because there is still a need to communicate good news about our community because it is not being done. There will not be a need for the Muncie Journal when a Google search regularly displays the truly great things that are happening here. Until then, we will continue to share positive stories about Muncie and Delaware County every day. For FREE. Our stories, additionally pushed out via our Muncie Journal Facebook and Twitter pages, are FREE to view by anyone.
We greatly appreciate the support we receive from our partners and those who have and continue to provide content, telling the stories that help us all realize what is possible if we change our frame of reference.
We are proud to be part of this effort.
Related article below.
Woof Boom Radio Launches a Brand New FREE Digital Publication: The Muncie Journal
