A few weeks ago, Beacon Journal reporter Carol Biliczky and photographer Mike Cardew drove to Toledo, stayed overnight, then met Scott Scarborough for breakfast at 7 a.m. They spent the whole day, then drove back to Akron. Who is Scott? Hes the new president of the University of Akron, an institution that enrolls 27,000 students and employs 2,781 people. The university is one of the most important economic forces in the Akron area. It took Carol a couple more days of interviews and writing to finish the profile of Scarborough that appeared in Sundays Beacon Journal and on Ohio. Cost to us? More than $1,000. That story cannot be heard on the police scanner, nor will it be dispatched in a bulletin by one of the Cleveland television stations. Inside, on page A2 the same day and also on Ohio, reporter Mary Beth Breckenridge and photographer Karen Schiely watched as Akron resident Jeff Stout and his four-year-old granddaughter fed purple martins in what has become a large, annual event at the Portage Lakes. Online were additional photos and a video as Karen had a good time joining the effort to feed the birds. Multiple levels of presentation -- words, images, audio, video -- of a great community event not found in any other news outlet. The comprehensive information important to life in the Akron area doesnt come for free, and it doesnt come from Cleveland. Our new membership model that asks you to pay for information important to daily life is similar to what is occurring at news organizations across the country. We hope youll want to be informed and engaged in your community. Doug Oplinger Managing editor Akron Beacon Journal.
Posted on: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:09:13 +0000