The last year of 2009 has thrown some curve balls to everybody. No matter what your lifetime batting average may be, this year was an odd one. But that doesn’t mean it was a total loss, in fact this year hopefully better prepared all of us for something we weren’t expecting to cope with, whether it be a loss of employment, somebody close passing, financial trouble for you and your family. Whatever the case may be, it’s not about what happened but about how you handle it.
That stands just as true if not more here for us at the Santa Monica Mirror, and especially for me as the Publisher. After losing our founder and the first publisher, Michael Rosenthal, I’m sure many wondered what would become of the Mirror… well don’t worry, the Mirror isn’t going anywhere. It has been four full months with me at the wheel here at the Mirror, and this is the first time I have written an editorial addressing my change as Publisher, my plans for the future, and my commitment to the community of Santa Monica.
Let me back track to October of 2008, when I first arrived at the Santa Monica Mirror doing telemarketing for the sales department here. As I had a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!) one day Rosenthal gave me a shot to edit the paper. After I had been editor for a few months, he then approached me with the idea of buying the paper. I deliberated for a few months, inevitably I seized the opportunity to take control of the company.
There is no more important news than local news, especially in Santa Monica. After spending time in the Midwest, I got a good sense of small community challenges, customs, and involvement. As odd as the idea of a small, close-knit community in Los Angeles sounds, it is very much the case here. Santa Monica does a great job of serving the people, businesses, and tourists, while also not losing sight of a functional, small residential, balanced community. There truly is no other place like Santa Monica.
Being a relatively young citizen and now investing my business, my home, and dog here in Santa Monica, I want to let you know my plans. At the Mirror, will focus more on the community, help build the community, and bring others close together. If it’s not local, it will not be in the paper. All of our content will be about local issues, events, etc; and written only by locals. The news will be reported in an unbiased manner, nothing will be editorialized, and nothing slanted.
There are only big things coming. Beginning of 2010, we will have a more sectionalized paper to better serve those who have select interests in the community. One example is the Junior Journal, which we launched this fall. Also, our website will continue to be updated with the most current news in Santa Monica, so please do come visit us often at the Santa Monica Mirror Daily Web (smmirror.com). As soon as we know, you will. We here at the Mirror will do everything we can to make sure you know what is happening – with professionalism, class, and ethics.
We lost Michael Rosenthal this year and the Mirror went through major changes, but it’s not about what happened, it’s about how you handle it. This is my hope and direction I have for the Mirror. In the end, we realize where we are, what we have to do, and how to do it. Look for a major and exciting new addition to our new process coming soon. Thank you for reading the Santa Monica Mirror.
