Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Why we launched the Los Angeles Register





By ERIC SPITZ and AARON KUSHNER / CO-OWNERS, FREEDOM COMMUNICATIONS





Welcome to the Los Angeles Register, the new voice of L.A. Not the Los Angeles the rest of the country thinks it knows, but the astounding place we experience daily: the tapestry of diverse and distinct communities and neighborhoods, from Monterey Park to Malibu, from Long Beach to La CaƱada, that join together to make one of the greatest cities on the planet.
Each of our communities has a story. Those communities deserve a voice. And that, in a nutshell, is our promise to you: The Los Angeles Register will be your community newspaper. Our mission is to tell the stories that matter to you, the local news of your towns and schools, your small businesses and nonprofits, the everyday heroes and volunteers who make a difference, but rarely make the front page – until now.
Our job is to help build and bind communities with such stories, and inform and surprise our readers. We think most newspapers have forgotten this part of our calling, but we want to bring it back. Every day.
Tall order? You bet. But we’re expanding across Los Angeles to do what the Register does best: reveal the stories and fabric of communities.
We’re betting you’ve been waiting for just such a newspaper, not just one you can scroll online, but also one you can hold and share at the breakfast table and clip out to post on the fridge.
So here is our pledge to the people of Los Angeles. We promise to:
• Chronicle the life and stories of the people and communities of Los Angeles. Content is king and we are storytellers. Our staff includes veteran, award-winning Southern California journalists (T.J. Simers, Michelle Nicolosi, David Ferrell, Susan Carpenter and Brad Johnson, to name just a few); many have deep roots in L.A.
• Inform you not only of the momentous events and challenges of the day, but also the unsung heroes who call L.A. home – in print, online atLosAngeles Register.com and through social media.
• Build local businesses by recognizing their achievements and travails.
• Offer daily insights about local sports teams, professional and amateur.
• Investigate shadowy areas of local and state government; if residents cannot count on the press to do this, then only government-controlled regulators are left for this vital task.
• Support local nonprofits through such innovative programs as our Golden Envelope gift cheques, which enable Register subscribers to direct advertising dollars to their favorite institutions.
• Provide free tickets to local events through our nationally recognized Register Connect program.
• Connect consumers to the local and national businesses that serve them.
• Educate Los Angeles citizens about their electoral choices, and we will take sides on the opinion pages. The Register brand has stood for free markets and individual liberties since 1906, and we will carry this tradition forward. Our world-class editorial board will provide opinion from this perspective, and we invite commentary from across the political spectrum.
If you already subscribe to the Register, thank you!
If not, give us a try. It’s a habit worth having.
Eric Spitz and Aaron
Kushner are co-owners of Freedom Communications, which publishes the
Los Angeles Register.




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