2025 will be BG Independent News’ 10th year of operation. We posted our first story “School’s Gay Straight Alliance honored for silence that speaks volumes” on Jan. 16, 2016. Our work depends on our readers and advertisers to keep our operations going. Their support along with the sweat equity invested by our team members made the thousands of stories were have reported possible.
As we move into a new year, we want to celebrate what we have accomplished, and invite more readers and advertisers to contribute to keeping us in operation.
There are several ways to contribute. Some choose to send periodic checks, often accompanied by a statement of appreciation for what we do.
“Keep up your good work! More important than ever,” one contributor wrote.
Another told us:
“Don’t know how you do it
“Day after day. But I’m very
“Happy/grateful that ya’ll do”
During this 12 Days After Christmas campaign, we will celebrate what we bring to the community.
On the first day after Christmas, BG Independent brings to you:
Thorough local news coverage that goes beyond agenda bullet points, to explain the details of stories such as those pesky turkeys and deer, maintaining historic homes while providing affordable housing, local dogs’ need for a park of their own, and constructing a new City Building.
As one contributor wrote: “I look at your website and Facebook page every day. I appreciate your efforts to provide us with local & area news.”
On the second day after Christmas, BG Independent News brings you:
Thorough coverage of the city’s schools. From budget wrangles to planning for the new high school, or the celebration of students whether top scholars, volunteers, participants in theater, art and music, FAA, and sports we’ve got you covered.
On the third day after Christmas, BG Independent News celebrates our community gatherings — major signature events such as the Black Swamp Arts Festival and the Wood County Fair and all the other opportunities we have to gather. That may be an awards ceremony honoring community leaders, a talk by an author sponsored by the library, the Holiday Parade, or Juneteeth. We’re there to capture it in words and photos so we can share it with you.
On the fourth day after Christmas, BG Independent provides coverage of Bowling Green State University. The university shapes our community, both as an economic force and a social driver. The past nine years have been a volatile time for BGSU as it has faced dramatic shifts within higher education and then coping with a pandemic that exacerbated the challenges the university faced. BGSU has been aggressive in facing those changes developing high demand programs as well as reshaping the face of campus. BG Independent has reported and will continue to track those changes and how they affect Bowling Green.
On the fifth day after Christmas, BG Independent brings you the people of the BG area. They are business proprietors, collectors, activists, educators, researchers, politicians, artists, performers, and most of al, people who have led interesting lives and in doing so have made our community a more vibrant place to live.
On the sixth day after Christmas, BG Independent calls attention to our coverage of activities related to our rural areas. Having Julie Carle join our team in the summer of 2022 gave us a well-honed voice for the Wood County Fair, FFA, and farm issues.Not that she’s one dimensional. She writes human interest stories that sing and can cover a meeting in a meaningful way.
On the seventh day after Christmas, New Year’s Day, BG Independent celebrates celebrations and commemorations. Whether the joyous fireworks on Independence or the somber remembrances on Memorial Day or the gaity of the Holiday Parade or the recognition in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., we are there.
On the eighth day after Christmas, BG Independent is all business. The businesses that advertise with us provide an essential revenue that allows us to continue our mission of providing quality local journalism. We view them as partners and keep our rates at an affordable level. We want to provide a way for businesses to connect with our readers. We also do this by reporting on openings, economic development, and milestones and people, even the occasional ghost.
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On the ninth day after Christmas, BG Independent News turns the spotlight on our vibrant local arts scene. The community loves the arts whether strolling downtown during Art Walk to see arts and crafts in shops, catching a band at a local bar, or attending a thought-provoking show at the Black Swamp Players’ Oak Street Stage. All this culminates in September with the Black Swamp Arts Festival. Then move east on Wooster and discover the world of art at BGSU. The university welcomes visiting performers, visual artist, and writers. More importantly they feature student talent in opera, band and orchestra concerts, music competitions, readings, dance performances, and the second largest marching band in the country. The world class faculty also demonstrates their talents.
For the 10th day after Christmas, we focus on our coverage of the arts scene up north. On the ninth day, we wrote about our dedication to the local BG scene. But since the beginning, BG Independent has included the arts in the Toledo area in its coverage. Our story on Dec. 31 (https://bgindependentmedia.org/reflecting-on-2024-the-past-25-years-writing-about-theater/) reflected on how the area’s theater scene is interconnected. There are also important local ties to the Toledo Museum of Art and to the symphony, ballet, and jazz orchestra that operate under the umbrella of the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts. We are fortunate to live in such a culturally vibrant region. BG Independent works to keep its readers connected to that scene.
On the 11th day after Christmas as we wind down the campaign, we revisit our New Year’s Day story, Sun sets on 2024 but not without a quick look back at some top stories, as a way spotlighting the breadth of our coverage. We also take the opportunity to suggest readers visit our home page, and not just rely on Facebook and its analytics. At BGIndependentmedia.org you will find all our content presented as we see it. We think readers will find stories and information they may otherwise be missing.
Today we end our 12 Days after Christmas campaign. We deeply appreciative of those who donated, whatever the amount and whether it came by check or through PayPal. A special thanks to Chris and Jean Geist whose kind letter gave us a boost as the campaign was ending. These funds will not only help us keep operating, but will enable us to develop our service to make it sustainable in the future. Of course, though this campaign is ending, your chance to donate or advertise is always there.
Click to support: http://bgindependentmedia.org/support/
Click for information on advertising: http://bgindependentmedia.org/advertise/
Thank you from our team: Jan McLaughlin, David Dupont, Elizabeth Roberts-Zibbel, Julie Carle, and John Roberts-Zibbel
