[fvc-wat-disc] Guelph Politico

[Sharon Sommerville]

Good Morning Everyone,

A couple of weeks ago Adam Donaldson posted an excellent interview with FVC-
WR about electoral reform on his blog site Guelph Politico. His interview
was a refreshing change from the attacks on proportional representation
which is prevalent in the main stream media.  With the demise of the Guelph
Mercury, Adam is hoping to expand his blog into a full time media outlet
for Guelph to fill some of the void left by the Mercury.  Below is an email
from Adam which explains the transition of Guelph Politico.  I am
forwarding Adam's email to you as someone who takes an extra interest in
political life and might be interested in where the Guelph Politico is
heading.

Best regards,
Sharon

Dear Friends and Neighbours,

Like you, I was saddened to hear about the closure of the Guelph Mercury on
Friday. I'm sure that you will agree with the words of Nelson Mandela that,
"A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any
democracy," and that in losing the Mercury, Guelph has lost a vital voice
and outlet for the Royal City.

It's hard to imagine anything can fill the void of the Mercury, and while I
don't wish to appear to be dancing on the paper's proverbial grave, the
show, as they say, must go on, and Guelph needs to be assured that there is
still an independent media in our city that's available and accessible.

In case our paths have never crossed, my name is Adam A. Donaldson, and I
have a blog called Guelph Politico. I have operated Guelph Politico for
going on eight years covering seven elections and the political landscape
in Guelph throughout that time. Politico has been recognized by numerous
people in the Guelph political community as a good source for information
and for fair and balanced coverage and analysis of politics in Guelph. But
now the time has come to expand.

Politico is in the midst of a transformational period itself now. In the
next several weeks, I will be launching a crowd-funding campaign for Guelph
Politico with the goal of turning it into a full-time media outlet for the
City of Guelph. My plans, and this goal, were in the works before the
Guelph Mercury announcement was made on Monday, but now there's an even a
greater imperative, at least for me, to make this happen.

So why did you get this email today? I wanted to send the word far and wide
across Guelph that I am here, or in the event that you already knew I
existed, that I'm still here. Guelph Politico obviously can't do all the
things that the Mercury did, and it has a very particular slant, in that
it's politically focused, but I am very enthusiastic about covering Guelph
news and telling Guelph stories, and now, more than ever, new outlets need
to be found to tell them.

Through Guelph Politico, I will continue the things I've already begun
doing: podcasts, live blogging from city council meetings, and articles and
editorials about issues. Should you wish to send press releases, story
ideas, or other information that you think should be of public interest to
the community I will be more than happy to receive them. I can't promise I
will cover everything, but I can promise that I will cover as much as I
can, and in time, if my crowd-funding efforts prove successful, perhaps
more.

In the media landscape, it's a brave new world out there. There are lots of
possibilities and as of yet no right answer to the question of what the
future of media will look like. I hope to do my part in keeping Guelph
informed in these transitional times, and I hope you will see the value and
opportunity in Guelph Politico.


Thank you for your time,

Adam A. Donaldson
Guelph Politico
http://guelphpolitico.blogspot.ca

P.S.: Feel free to share this with any people in your circle who you think
might be interested.
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