For 520 or so issues of the Tucson Weekly, the editor’s chair has offered me an interesting vantage point on Tucson media. I have watched various sources come (TucsonSentinel.com) and go (the Tucson Citizen). I have watched other media slowly wither away. (The Arizona Daily Star today is a fraction of what it was in the early-mid aughts.) Yet other media have continued on with strength (KXCI FM 91.3 and—despite management issues—Arizona Public Media).
Overall, the loss of the Citizen and the deterioration of the Star have meant that nowhere near as much journalism is being done in this town as there was in 2003, when I started at the Weekly. Proportionally, the Weekly has become a much-bigger fish in this figurative pond. That’s great, in some ways, for those of us at Weekly World Central, but it’s not good for Tucson. We do a lot here—but we can only do so much.
Therefore, I ask you to please heed my final plea: Support your local media. If people don’t support local media, local media will die, and all sorts of great stories won’t get covered—while wrongdoing won’t get uncovered.
This town needs the Weekly, the Star, the Explorer, KXCI, the TV stations, Arizona Public Media, TucsonSentinel.com and the other media to keep telling stories, to keep shining a mirror on Tucson, to keep pointing out bullshit and shenanigans. Do what you can to support these organizations. If you don’t like the management, that’s fine, but don’t let that stop you from sending a reporter who does a good story an encouraging note. Send TucsonSentinel.com and KXCI a few bucks. Patronize Tucson Weekly advertisers. Send Dan Gibson, who will be sitting in the Weekly editor’s chair from now on (and who will do a dang fine job, by the way), good story tips. Just support your local media. Please.
Thanks to all of you for the support over the last 10 years. And, as always, thanks for reading the Tucson Weekly.
This article appears in Dec 27, 2012 – Jan 2, 2013.
In more than 20 years of journalism, I have worked with dozens of editors in several states. Jimmy Boegle ranks as one of two who stand out from the crowd (and it isn’t because all the rest took a step back to leave him hanging). He is one smart f*cker, an astute wordsmith with a level head. That last part is no small feat. Editors with level heads are a rare breed. In fact, journalists with level heads are a rare breed, making Jimmy a man who operates in a very rarified atmosphere. He corrals talent like no one I have ever met. He lets writers be writers, poking and prodding us when deadlines loom, yet letting us know at every step that he appreciates what we do. Good luck, Jimmy. I’ll miss you. Seriously.
Good luck Jimmy.