Behind the Scenes Sunday 5/15
A peek at what goes on behind the curtain here at ReportNOLA, how YOU can help us grow, and what's coming up in the near future.
As you know, ReportNOLA is currently a one-person show. I research topics, stay up to date on community happenings and concerns, conduct interviews, and go to events, usually all on my own.
My hope is that as I gain more subscribers (both free and paid), I will eventually be able to hire an intern or an assistant. However, ReportNOLA is a paywall-free zone; I don’t believe any of you should have to pay to read about the things that are affecting our community. Currently, 100% of the money I make goes straight back into the business into things like travel expenses, photo-editing software, continuing education, professional memberships, and other necessities.
I don’t want to hire anyone unless I can pay them a fair, living wage. And in New Orleans, that means no less than $17-$21/hr minimum. Needless to say, we’re not there - yet.
I have no doubt that in time together we can do that. I’ve seen the way that New Orleanians come together to support each other’s businesses in every way, and the generosity of this community is absolutely unmatched. That being said, here is how you can support this one, so that I can keep covering the things that matter to you.
Open your email, when it comes - You’re currently reading this, so obviously you’re already doing great! Every opened email lets Substack know that my readers find my content to be valuable. Thank you!
Hit that heart - At the end of each post, you’ll see a little heart, just like on any social media platform. And as with any social media, hitting that heart helps the Substack algorithm know that what I’m creating is meaningful.
Don’t forget to share - If my content never makes it past your Inbox, then this publication can’t grow. When you share the link to my work (I always place a “share” button at or near the end of each article to make it easy), you give others the chance to see my work and subscribe, too. Remember, subscribing is FREE!
If you can, and ONLY if you can, tip or opt-into a paid subscription - Tips can be any amount you want, and paid subscriptions are anything from $5 a month, $30 a year, or a “founding member” for $100 a year. That last option is only available THIS YEAR. At the end of 2022, they’ll be going away - but my Founding Members are going to begin receiving some special thank you’s very soon.
All of that being said, are some of the things that I hope to acquire in the near future to make ReportNOLA better for all of you:
A Louisiana Press Association Membership ($75)
A better carrying case for my camera equipment ($60)
A Chromebook or laptop for faster, on-site reporting ($90)
The dream - a dedicated ReportNOLA vehicle. Currently, I rely on Uber and Lyft to get to weekday events and interviews (starting small with a $2000 scooter and helmet).
Only two $30 yearly memberships would pay for the camera case. Or, if every free subscriber tipped just $5 one time, all of the top three items would be paid for.
In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming for ReportNOLA in the near future:
Videos on TikTok, Facebook, and Twitch - that’s right… pretty soon you’ll get to hear (and see) me tell you the news of the day face to face!
More event coverage - it’s the summer season, so y’all know there’s about to be a lot going on!
Exclusive interviews - I’ll be talking to some really interesting people in the coming weeks, including local authors, community nonprofit leaders, politicians, and more!
Thank you to each and every one of you for sticking with me this far. You push me to be better and dig deeper every day.