Open Letter to the Citizen – Follow Up
In a follow up to my open letter to the Key West Citizen [September 13, 2013] I feel compelled to add a few more thoughts on small town local newspapers and their role in the community. I did a bit of research on the history of the KW Citizen via Wikipedia. The paper has a venerable history that started 128 years ago and has been published since in various incarnations and titles. In 1998 Solares Hill was added to the stable of publications owned by the previous Citizen’s publishing company, Thomson Florida Keys Media Group. Solares Hill was an independent magazine first published in 1976. The present owners and publishers purchased the Citizen along with Solares Hill in 2000. The last contribution to the Wikipedia site was entered on September 22, 2011. The paper has not yet entered the latest historical events of the last few weeks. I can’t wait to see what is posted to explain/rationalize said events.
The bizarre act by the publisher to drop Solares Hill and Paradise magazine came as a total shock. Along with these publications several people were told they were out of a job with absolutely no warning. This reprehensible treatment of respected professionals by the publisher is an insult, not only to these fine journalists, but reveals the out-of-state corporate contempt for the citizens of Key West and the readers of Solares Hill. Was any thought given to perhaps combining the two magazines and creating a new Solares Hill that could come out on Thursdays? Secondly, but equally important, why the irrational black out/suppression of local opinion on one of the most serious issues the citizens of Key West have been faced with in decades? A binding referendum to dredge the harbor or not, at a price tag of, at least, thirty five million dollars of our tax money, so that larger and longer cruise ships than we already have can belly up to our docks. Wouldn’t the extra controversy generate more sales and adverts?
As I mentioned in the open letter, one can’t help but be suspicious of the real reason for the black out.
Anti dredging opinion is dominant, but like climate change deniers, the pro dredgers arguments are supported by a tiny percentage that agree with them and they want us to believe that dredging has the backing of the people. If the paper was to print, in representative numbers, the pro and con opinions of the people that this binding referendum will impact, I would bet on the majority opinions being anti-dredge and a NO vote on October first. That is the role of a small town local paper, period.
Shortly after I cancelled our subscription to the Citizen, I got a call from the head of the subscription department at the paper. We had a polite chat and I explained to him my shock and dismay over the current decisions by his bosses. We talked about others that dropped the paper after it endorsed Mitt Romney and he proudly told me he had been able to talk a lot of them into re-subscribing or not cancelling. Great, I said, but when he realized I wasn’t going to reverse my decision, his tone and demeanor changed.
He informed me that the loss of my “little $100 addition” to the Cooke Communications Empire wouldn’t be a pin prick of a protest, and that the empire basically couldn’t care less what I do. I thanked him and hung up thinking, well, that pretty much sums up The Key West Citizen, our “local” “newspaper” that is neither. Vote No on dredging, October first. They won’t ask us again.
Alex Symington
In my opinion Solares Hill died when the Key West Citizen purchased it years ago. Of course I was a fan of the REAL Solares Hill started by Bill Huckel which actually looked at the important local issues and did some good investigative reporting in addition to the artsy stuff too.. Solares Hill was co-opted in my opinion and I stopped bothering to read it unless Mark Howell wrote some good investigative story. I also feel that they muzzled Mark Howell on political and other issues What ever happened to the” 510 Greene Street” column that was the best investigative reporting locally until Key West the Newspaper came along..I hope they did not get Mark to sign a “non compete” agreement and that he will write again in our town for a more socially responsible LOCAL media!
I am so glad we have thebluepaper.com now- thank you.
Wow, Solares hill was shut down to protect and promote the pro dredging interest in this town? Relax those are not black helicopters flying around just some mosquitoes the haven’t been sprayed yet. I stopped reading Solares Hill years ago because of the leftist leanings of it’s editor and the poor choice in stories he continued to run. I suspect that advertisers also saw the down-slide in quality and lose of readership and stopped advertizing. Instead of adjusting to what readers wanted to read the editor stayed the failing course and went down with the ship.