No news isn't always good news. (The Associated Press photo) |
Current founder and co-chairman Ed Bell, who retired as chief of the Boston bureau of the Associated Press after 50 years in print and broadcast news, said, "As a guy who has ink running through my blood, publishing a blank page of newsprint wasn't easy. But it's time to make the point of how urgent it is that we support local journalism."
The blank front page marks the beginning of the newspaper's fundraising effort, which runs through Dec. 31.
Should readers zip over to the Current's website, they don't find a blank page. Instead, they find a robust local paper with civic news, vibrant local happenings, and even a local photo of a rare short-eared owl, an endangered species in the state, at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
Virginia Buckingham, president of the board of the Marblehead News Group, which publishes the Current, supported the blank-page surprise. She said: "Two newspapers close every week in this country on average. It's a tough time for community news, but there's hope. The non-profit model can reverse the negative trend, but only if people support us with donations, much like they do non-profit TV and radio stations."
This photo is part of the Current's "Cuzner in Nature" feature. Rick Cuzner is a local photographer. |
Virginia Buckingham, president of the board of the Marblehead News Group, which publishes the Current, supported the blank-page surprise. She said: "Two newspapers close every week in this country on average. It's a tough time for community news, but there's hope. The non-profit model can reverse the negative trend, but only if people support us with donations, much like they do non-profit TV and radio stations."
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