It started with the creation of four new blogs- Inside Joplin, Inside Joplin Obituaries, Inside the Ozarks, and Turner Resports.
Three of those blogs have worked out well and the Turner Report has continued to attract more readers, as well.
On the average, the Turner Report receives more than 6,000 unique visitors each day, with occasional gusts of up to 15,000 depending on what is featured that day. On one particular day, it received 63,000 visitors.
Inside Joplin had been steady, but has taken off over the last couple of months and now routinely has more than 2,000 visitors a day, and Inside Joplin Obituaries is also reaching that number.
Turner Resports is usually in the neighborhood of 400 to 500 visitors per day.
Last November, when I unveiled the new subscription model, I asked readers to subscribe either on a yearly, monthly, or weekly basis to enable me to keep the Turner Report/Inside Joplin growing. I have kept that promise.
In the past year, Inside Joplin has added coverage of Missouri Southern and Crowder College news, more coverage of area communities, Jasper County marriage licenses, information on traffic accidents and dissolutions of marriage in Jasper, Newton, Barton, and McDonald counties, in addition to Joplin police coverage and news items from Joplin city government.
Inside Joplin Obituaries has expanded to cover as many deaths as possible of people connected to Jasper, Newton, Barton, and McDonald counties, on a searchable website, at no charge to the families. On Inside Joplin Obituaries, deaths are treated as news, not just a way to make another dollar.
Turner Resports has featured extensive coverage of Missouri Southern athletics, as well as live video coverage of Webb City, Lamar, and Seneca football on a weekly basis (and any other area game I can find and embed on the website). The site often features news of the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams, and Mizzou, as well.
The Turner Report, meanwhile, has continued to expand its investigative coverage of both the city of Joplin and the Joplin R-8 School District, as well as extensive coverage of court cases that cannot be found from any other Joplin area media news source. The news and commentary on this blog, despite its detractors, have made a difference in the Joplin area and I plan to continue to provide a voice for readers who are not being represented by other area media..
I have plans to offer even more coverage in the future, but as always what I am able to offer is dependent on you, the readers.
For the past year, a few dozen readers have paid the freight for everyone. I have the same problem that NPR or PBS has. There is nothing that stops people from reading the items on this site and there never will be. Pay walls are frustrating and are often set up by news organizations that are not providing enough information to make it worthwhile to take a digital subscription. People have to make a conscious effort to support something that they could just as easily receive for free.
People have to decide what value, if any, that this blog and the others has for them. Has it made a contribution to your life, to this city, to this school district, to the entire Joplin area? Or are you content to continue to allow the Joplin Globe to milk this area financially while avoiding anything that smacks of investigative reporting?
I have placed a subscription button and a contribution button at the bottom of this post. If you want to contribute, but cannot afford a subscription, consider contributing a smaller amount. If you simply aren't able to do anything at the moment, please consider sharing this post and also invite your friends to take a look at the blogs. You might suggest "liking" the Inside Joplin Facebook page, which always features links to all posts on the blogs.
I don't plan on making a habit of lengthy subscription appeals; consider this my pledge break. I will continue to place subscription buttons on occasional posts and leave the one that is on the right hand side of this page, but otherwise, you are not going to read regular lengthy appeals, But it is necessary that I do it from time to time.
Thanks for the support you have given to the Turner Report. As of next month, this blog will have been in existence for 12 years.
I am not going anywhere, but I would like to be able to build on to this and also have an easier time paying the bills.
Book Signings
The book promotion business is also fully in swing for the rest of the year with at least three signings scheduled.
I will join a group of local authors 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, October 3, at the Joplin Public Library.
On Saturday, December 5, I will be at another book signing, again with multiple local authors, at the Carthage Public Library. I will have more information about the time in an upcoming post.
And sometime over the next several weeks, I will be at Always Buying Books for a signing featuring people who have written books about the Joplin Tornado. Last time I talked with store owner Bob Wolfe, the date had not yet been set.
Speaking Engagements
Since I have been getting out a bit more lately (and I am not in the middle of writing a book), I am also available to speak to any group that wants to hear about my new book, writing in general, or about blogging or education. Just pick a topic.
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To subscribe or contribute, please use the buttons below. If you would prefer not to use PayPal or a credit card, you can send subscription payments or contributions to 2306 E. 8th, Apt. G, Joplin, MO 64801
2 comments:
Sing it sister
This is off topic. Why do Joplin Schools allow a convicted felon to represent the voice of the Eagles Football every Friday night? I thought that Bobby Landis was a convicted felon. What message does that send to our students?
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