Now two months into existence, the San Diego Sun is warmed up and fulfilling its mission to cover all facets—good and bad—of life in downtown San Diego.
The goal is to be a talked-about source of news, events and insider stories. To that end, the online publication has:
The Sun also recently did a deep dive into downtown’s ongoing battle with homelessness. This long-form feature, East Village 2021: Doing Business Surrounded by Homelessness, laid out a multifaceted picture filled with political solutions.
Another serious topic tackled: the state of safe bike paths that connect downtown to outlying areas. If you missed it, check out: After Pershing Drive Bike Casualties, Fifth Avenue Still Tempts Fate.
Tackling the topic of homelessness in The Sun. (Photo by Chanin Wardkhian/Getty Images)
The Sun is a hyperlocal news site funded by Facebook’s Bulletin program for independent journalists.
The June 2021 rollout of FACEBOOK Bulletin included national content creators such as futurist Malcolm Gladwell, sportscaster Erin Andrews, activist Malala Yousafzai, bestselling author Mitch Albom and journalist Jessica Yellin.
Subsequent waves of locally focused writers included me and dozens of other independent journalists all over the country.
This group of far-flung writers have formed a bond and a community. Two dozen of us were enrolled together in a Zoom version of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism’s Entrepreneurial Journalism Creator’s Program.
That program is overseen by The City University of New York.
On a weekly basis we met with educators and experienced entrepreneurs who have figured out how to make a living by writing about niche coverage areas.
We learned how to serve a community with directed news, how to grow an audience and eventually create a paid-subscription-based newsletter.
Armed with a new logo by the Top Hat design agency and access to stock photos from Getty Images, now it’s time to put theory into reality.
Covering Best Pizza Places (like Basic Bar & Pizza).
Two months in, The Sun’s Facebook presence (RonDon SD News) is still growing, and the email subscription base has doubled.
At least through the rest of 2021, all subscribers will get emails delivered for free. Now’s the time to sign up. Some time in 2022, I’ll announce details of a firewalled newsletter. Current subscribers will get a deal.
I’m excited to be back in the media writing about downtown San Diego—the neighborhood where I live and work. I did if for 12 years as executive editor of San Diego Magazine and for many other years at local publications like San Diego CityBeat.
(FYI, I’m still writing freelance special assignments for San Diego Magazine and for Ranch & Coast Magazine.)
There’s an inherent joy in writing stories for The Sun about the Best Sports Bars, Best Pizza Places or Big-Ticket Events Coming to Downtown.
As well, I feel a responsibility to write about social issues like homelessness. The reality is that those kinds of stories take time—and that kind of time burns budget.
That’s why I hope you’ll subscribe for free to my email list today. And consider signing up for the newsletter in the future.
I’ll always be open to feedback and criticism. Not incidentally, a few story ideas from readers have already turned into pieces published in The Sun.
Please help get conversations started in the comments sections on stories.
Email your thoughts, insights and tips to rondonoho@gmail.com.
Let’s shine on! SDSun
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Help rebuild local news! SUBSCRIBE today! The San Diego Sun is produced by Ron Donoho under the umbrella of the FACEBOOK-Bulletin project for independent journalists.
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