Contributed by Josh Fryfogle
Lots of things are happening lately, so just to collect my thoughts I decided to write a bit about each item.
FryfogleNetwork.News
This is my special brand, of just my thoughts. I've been doing the Freedom of Press proxy routine for a decade - for you. The publication business has always been about allowing everyone to express themselves, but as the steward of that publication business, I am the only person in the community who can't fully express myself in that same print publication.
Funny, right? If I were to use it in that way - in the same way that I hope everyone else uses it - then I would undermine its reputation. People would assume that my altruistic effort to engage the public in their first amendment rights (this is my life's work, my true vocation, my calling) was disingenuous. I recognized this from the beginning and adhered to this philosophy throughout, limiting my own voice to amplify yours. A worthy sacrifice, considering my passion for self-expression.
But FNN bears my name for a reason. This is a separate brand, my brand. You can count on my commitment to express myself fully through this outlet. I will also be using FryfogleNetwork.News to measure statistically what the public is thinking, based on social media activity and web traffic. I will publish the results by submitting those articles to The People's Paper, the ones that show the most online activity.
Also, I will be offering my own creative services through this company. Contact me through my website, FryfogleNetwork.News, for more information.
The People's Paper & MAS Mag
That brings me to The People's Paper and Make A Scene. We have changed things up in our submission department. We are publishing your article submissions immediately online - well, at least during business hours - before we go to print. In the past we've timed them together, but no more. Now we publish them as they come in, and this allows us to measure their interest with our online activity.
This is a natural and philosophically consistent development in our mission - to proxy the first amendment's freedom of press to our community.
Now, by measuring online activity, we see what the community is truly interested in, and will publish that as well! But what's more - and this is really exciting! - by telling you how it works, you, the reader, can help shape our community paper by your own intentional activity online. You've always been able to write articles, but now you can affect public perception of those articles! It is a beautiful development, unfolding the holistic potential of media! We are inspired every day to strive for this idea!
VoteLocal.info
The Vote Local campaign is a campaign we started last year, to promote shopping locally as a political action. The economy is in our hands, folks! In the time that I have worked on this campaign, I've received a lot of input from people, and not just business owners either. Real people have been candid with me, telling me what they think about the campaign and its goals. The most common theme, the most practical and valid reason for not shopping with locally owned businesses, has been simply:
"I don't know where to do to find what I need. I would spend all my time traveling around looking, and maybe not find what I need."
I was discussing this with one business owner, and he suggested that we create an online database where people could search for goods and services, and find a locally-owned business to meet their needs. So that's what we did! Well, we're doing it. Well, I'm doing it. Our small team of three in our small office is very very busy, all the time, so as time allows I will add business info to this database, which you can see online now.
If you would like to have your business included, go to the VoteLocal.info website and click on "Submit Your Info" at the top. Simple form at first, and we will follow up with you.
Free Online Ads
I had a meeting with a fellow in the media business and he suggested that we consider putting ads on our website for free - an added bonus to our advertisers and additional content for our readers. Well, duh. Why didn't I think of that? But I'm a good listener. We have added tremendous potential value to our already loyal advertising customers. If you are currently advertising with us, you are already receiving these additional ads! They even click through to your website - check it out! This new bonus, combined with the other efforts I've described above, is part of this expanding effort to empower real people in our community.
Altogether, these efforts are to empower you, and everyone else - but more than that, it's an effort to listen to each other. If these efforts are to succeed in making people heard, we must also be good listeners. We must empathize with others, see things from their subjective view point, in order to expand our objective awareness. True objectivity will never be realized. The best we can hope for is a cross section of awareness of each others' subjective experience.
Thanks for reading, watching videos, liking and sharing and commenting, too!
I'm listening.