Welcome to this week’s editorial,
The Beagle website is now THREE YEARS Old.
Born in October 2016 The Beagle came about for several reasons including, primarily, the Bay Post deciding to take their once free website behind a paywall.
Learning of the decision by the Bay Post was enough of a catalyst to encourage me to return to Australia and take on the task of trying to best provide a FREE, inclusive and informative news source that celebrated our community, advised folks of what they need to know in a timely way and avail news using modern media techniques accessible 24/7 on any device, anywhere in the world.
Having lived in Eurobodalla for thirty years and having worked in Eurobodalla Council for 21 of those I was well aware of all of the news that was NOT being reported and also aware that much of the news was either ‘censored’ in one way or another by means of being culled or it was selectively provided.
There was little if any questioning, as we once had, with newspaper editors like Eric Wiseman of the Southern Star who held Council to task and called them out when required. The days of investigative journalism appeared gone and it became evident that the community had disengaged itself from local news as they saw little value in buying the ever thinning ‘rags’ with out of date fishing reports and advertorials.
Times were changing and technology was enabling the community to look to alternate sources of news. Timely sources that weren’t printed on a Wednesday filled with yesterday’s news. The internet was the new go-to and social media was the new platform with Facebook and Twitter. But within all of that noise there was still a demand for real news. For a place to source real information and not hearsay and for a place that could be trusted.
Locally we have been incredibly fortunate to have a dynamic fresh ABC South East who use all of the tools available to them to deliver news and stories via radio, text and video. With the internet and streaming the days of sitting around a radio waiting for the news are gone with the click of an App.
The Beagle is also fortunate to share the contemporary news stage with Ian Campbell’s About Regional that is also an online news source delivering quality articles covering the South East via podcasts, the website and social media.
Three years, 11,147 articles and 125 editions of The Beagle Weekender has been a pleasure to deliver to an ever growing audience. So happy third birthday to us and may there be many more.
Until next—Lei
