Who would want to leave this beautiful city?
How much would you pay to boot John Micek out of Harrisburg?
That’s a question that PennLive’s opinion editor himself has been asking his readers in a couple of cheeky columns over the past few days.
The offer isn’t a serious one, but seems mostly designed to have a little fun with central PA’s conservatives, who, sufficiently aroused, are dutifully driving traffic to our area’s website of record.
Micek’s facetious proposal made me wonder something. How much would readers of TheBurg pay to keep me in Harrisburg?
Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. TheBurg just finished up a great year, and we have some exciting plans for 2017 (return of TheBurg Podcast, anyone?). And, well, you know, I still have so many great thoughts to think about this city and its place in the universe.
But I bring up Micek’s column because, often, people ask me how they can support what we do at TheBurg. It seems they feel a little guilty that, each month, they get a high-quality magazine packed with great local journalism at absolutely no cost. Many readers have said to me, “I would pay for this!”
We actually do accept subscriptions, and some folks have taken us up on that. However, we tend not to promote it much, mostly because, to cover our expenses, it’s somewhat pricey. But, if you are interested in receiving a hard copy of TheBurg delivered right to your mailbox each month, you can do that by clicking here.
We also have a donation program, in which you can contribute anywhere from $1 on up to show that you appreciate what we do. For that, there’s a link at the bottom of our home page, or you can click here.
Lastly, you can encourage a company you work for or do business with to advertise in TheBurg or, better yet, become a Community Publisher. Major companies and organizations in central Pennsylvania have become Community Publishers because, while they wish to support us, they aren’t traditional advertisers—or they want to increase their level of commitment.
Following the recent presidential election, major newspapers, such as the New York Times and the Washington Post, reported a flood of new subscriptions, both in print and online. People, it seems, were finally realizing that real, responsible journalism costs money—a lot of money—and someone needs to pay for it.
The same holds true on the local level. Yes, our monthly magazine is free and always will be, as we feel a responsibility to make TheBurg available to everyone in the greater Harrisburg area. However, we greatly appreciate the support of the community. Perhaps that support takes the form of a gracious compliment, which I’m often lucky to receive, but maybe it’s financial support, as we always want to do more in print and on the web, and that takes resources.
So, no, I’m not going anywhere. Nor, I suppose, is Micek. But, in my case, I hope that the fact I plan to stay right here in Harrisburg, leading TheBurg team, causes you not to fume, but to smile.
Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.
Photo by Dani Fresh
