Unless you are just brand-new to ArtsWatch (and if so, welcome!), you’ve noticed a blossoming of sponsorship spots the past couple of weeks.
Another word for this is advertising, though because we are a nonprofit (still waiting to hear from the IRS about our 501(c)(3) application), it’s a little different from the usual newspaper, TV or radio ad, at least in my mind.
Sure, our sponsors are hoping you click on their ad. And so am I, though mostly because that will give us (you and the writers of ArtsWatch) some common cultural experiences to talk over here.
But really what our sponsors are saying is that the state and city need an independent, vigorous, high-quality journalism project devoted to cultural matters, especially the arts. And by supporting us, they are trying to make that happen. We’re going to try to live up to that, try our very hardest.
Don’t worry. They aren’t dictating either what we write about or what we say. The key word is “independent.” It takes some maturity to understand that this is important, that the most useful reporting and interpretation comes from writers who aren’t aligned with anyone but their readers, even when those writers report on stuff that’s a little embarrassing to you or interpret in a way that doesn’t seem favorable. The arts groups that have committed to supporting us get that the ongoing discussion we have here, though it might not be immediately helpful to them, is part of a much larger project that is all about making our local culture richer, smarter, more adaptive, more satisfying and more independent itself over time.
The easiest way to register your support of their decision to help us? Yes, simply click on their ads! And attend their shows and concerts and be an active part of the culture here. Easy! And you might even say something to them, not for supporting ArtsWatch, really, but looking after the common good in general. That’s something we don’t say enough to each other, in my opinion. Thank you for considering ALL of us.
OK, sponsorship ads help ArtsWatch stay in business, one of the important ways.
Another one is the membership. Just like Oregon Public Broadcasting or KBOO or All-Classical, we need individual members to stay afloat. The advertising you see isn’t nearly enough for us to do what we’re hoping to do here. Which is basically to turn a bunch of committed, intelligent and informed writers loose on our local culture and watch the sparks fly! It’s easy to become a member; any amount of money will do it. Small amounts of money from large numbers of people—that’s the very best way to fund ArtsWatch.
How do you suscribe?
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