Dear Readers,
Over the past couple years, many publications in major cities throughout the United States have shuttered because of the economic conditions and the general lack of appeal of print journalism.
The Rocky Mountain News in Denver closed in February.
The Detroit News and Free Press reduced their home delivery to three days a week in March. In the same month, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer became an online-only publication.
Countless other publications have experienced a similar fate, as publishing companies shift their financial and editorial focuses to digital media...if the companies are staying open at all.
Such is not the fate of Window Media, LLC, which today announced that Southern Voice and David magazine in Atlanta, the Washington Blade in Washington, DC, and the entire company, are closing, effective immediately.
Now is a time to mourn the loss of friends, one of whom has kept the Atlanta community informed on issues affecting the LGBT community for more than 20 years.
But now is also the time to awaken the voices silenced by Window Media's decision. I would personally like to invite former SoVo and David staffers, along with "average Joes" in the Atlanta community to share your writing here. If you'd like to write an article or two (or several) for Proud in Peachland, send me an e-mail here, and I'll enable your permissions.
Proud in Peachland will obey all typical journalistic standards. Articles written as opinion pieces should be labeled as such. I will not serve an active editorial role in this project at this stage, except to eliminate vulgar or inappropriate contributions. Once you're approved as a writer for this blog, I will not censor your contributions unless under those conditions.
However, I would -suggest- a Southern Voice/David tribute as the first topic we write about, as that is the most pressing news of the day. Let's give Southern Voice and David the sendoff they were unable to give themselves. The sudden decision of Window Media to close prevented SoVo and David from even publishing farewell additions.
I would like to see Proud in Peachland grow into a multi-platform media venture eventually. I have been pursuing a media venture here in Athens for a number of months now, and the audience doesn't seem as receptive as I believe a potential audience for the Proud in Peachland venture would be.
Thanks for reading and for your future contributions to the Proud in Peachland community.
Brian A. Smith
Editor-In-Chief
