Hello, readers.
Well, it’s been a busy three weeks here at the Monitor, as we get rolling on our journalistic enterprise. Investigating all sorts of stories, we’ve visited offices in Duluth City Hall that we’ve never seen before.
The response from the public has been great—plenty of website traffic, plenty of comments coming in. The Patreon subscriptions are not piling up as fast as we would like, but that’s just a sign of the times. We know people enjoy reading our articles. They like them, share them, and offer compliments on them, but—as with most things online—the vast majority of people stop short of supporting the Monitor financially. That’s just the way it goes with people and the internet.
To address the situation, we would like to call your attention to one of our sweeter promotions: Anyone who sponsors the Monitor at the $20 level on Patreon will get a free quart of hand-picked wild blueberries, fresh from the field to your door. I’ve checked my secret locations, and the blueberries should be ripe within a week. Three lucky souls have already signed up for this great incentive. When the Days of Picking commence, you’ll want to be on the list.
We’re not your average paper, which should be clear from the articles. I urge people to read them, then ask themselves if they get this kind of journalism anywhere else. The answer is no. Who found out that Mayor Larson was planning to earmark sales tax money for the Medical District? The Monitor, in our first three weeks of existence. The story alarmed citizens, kick-started City Council discussion, and was covered on WDSM radio and Fox 21. The more Patreon subscriptions we get, the more of this kind of journalism you get.
All in all, we’re cooking. I’ve already started paying people to research different things for the Monitor, much to the finance department’s chagrin. But we know that when you put in the work, it shows in the final product, and people will support you.
The quality already shows. The support will come.
You should taste those blueberries.
Regarding the sales tax increase: Duluthians, Would it upset you to find out that the tax increase you authorized to fix the road in front of your home is largely being given to the Medical District instead?
I’m happy to accept the blueberries for supporting you on Patreon. Please hand-deliver to our home in Nanaimo, BC. Good luck crossing the border!
Pretty big talk for somebody who hasn’t actually made a donation on Patreon.
Patreon doesn’t like Canadian addresses. That’s ok, I don’t like their 10% fee. I’ll find some other way to contribute… maybe moral support.
Moral support is the most popular way that people choose to support me. I’m talking to the bank tomorrow about using some of those likes and attaboys to pay the mortgage.