A (Cringing) Plea for Your Support of Free, Independent, Local Journalism

So, I was sitting with Alan last week on his balcony overlooking Krutch Park. Alan sipped coffee, retired life looking real good on him. A bald eagle circled overhead like it was auditioning for a Lee Greenwood video. Maybe it was vibing with all the American flags on Gay Street. Or maybe it sensed that Alan was about to ask me a question that would trigger one of my deepest phobias: capitalism.

“So … are you doing the August fundraising post?” He was referencing Inside of Knoxville‘s annual request for, you know, some financial love.

Reader, I shrank into my patio chair. Ever since I was a kid selling Girl Scout cookies, anything involving the exchange of currency has made me want to crawl into a storm drain and live with the possums. Why can’t we just live in a barter society, like Burning Man or something. Alan looked at me with wisdom and empathy. “Listen, I get it. I feel the same way,” he said. “But the alternative is giving your work away for free.”

Touché, Alan.

Here’s what I believe: In a perfect world, journalism should be free. No paywalls, no subscriptions, no “click here to unlock the rest of this sentence.” (God, could anything be more irritating?) I believe this city—and honestly, this whole country—would be a heck of a lot better off if everyone had unlimited access to high-quality, factual reporting instead of whatever reheated clickbait the algorithm gods decide to serve up in our social media feeds.

But “free” doesn’t mean it’s free to make. Servers, tech support, hardware, writers and yes, the not-small monthly payments I’ll be making for the next five years for the privilege of owning this site. (Sorry to disappoint anyone who assumed I’m secretly some independently wealthy media mogul.) Those are all very real costs.

It’s a rare, rare thing for a community to have a free resource like Inside of Knoxville. As a reminder, I was the last editor-in-chief of  Metro Pulse when it was independently owned. I turned in my notice three weeks before Scripps<Gannett bought it. I could see what was coming down the pike. And I promise you, I will never, ever let Inside of Knoxville endure a similar fate.

EVER.

And now, for my final and most vulnerable act of cringe, an awkward personal confession: Even after taking the reins of IOK on June 1, I’m still juggling multiple side hustles to help make our family’s financial life work, including one time-consuming copy writing job that pays well but eats my soul for breakfast.

I routinely work well past midnight. (I am literally finishing the story you’re reading right now at 1:39 a.m.) And I’ve got a ton of chewy story ideas I can’t chase because, well … I just don’t have the time. The more support IOK gets, the more I can put my energy where it belongs: digging into this city and telling the stories you actually want to read. Help me make THIS my full-time job, y’all!

We’ve got an all-star crew of advertisers (shout out to year-rounders Boyd’s Jig & Reel, Downtown Realty, Lilienthal Gallery, Sunspot, The Marlowe and Visit Knoxville with seasonal support from Big Ears Festival, Clarence Brown Theatre, Dogwood Arts, Knoxville Opera, McClung Museum and more) and I could not be more grateful. If you run a business or nonprofit, maybe consider joining them. Our ad rates haven’t been updated in, like, 10 years so it’s a pretty good deal. We’ll get your ad in front of an active, engaged, hyperlocal audience that looks to our coverage over 120,000 times a month.

We also welcome one-time and ongoing contributions. If you’ve ever been featured here and it gave your business or project a boost, maybe consider throwing a little “thank you” donation our way.

To our readers who already make monthly donations: THANK YOU. I wish I at least had a cute little tote bag to send you like NPR. Maybe next year ….

To readers who find value in the work we do here and have the means to contribute, I hope you’ll consider it. Even $5 a month goes a long way. If it doesn’t make sense right now, no worries, you’re still in the IOK family. It’s tough times for many.

This is me, rattling the virtual tip jar: Donate | Advertise

Not because I love asking. (In fact, I’m going to curl up on the couch and die the minute I hit publish.) But because I love Knoxville, and I believe FREE, independent, local journalism matters. I know you do, too.

Here’s to the next 15+ years.