I am a fan of new media who is intrigued by stories seldom told in our community and world. From that, I derive my passion and motivation for this collaborative news website.
I’ve long been a consumer of journalism, and a sometimes contributor to editorial pages, but this venture has been launched to satisfy a desire to create a platform for collaboration among talented, independent journalists and creatives. It’s a showcase of our community’s talents, and in time, of other similar communities as well.
NonDoc is short for “non doctrinaire,” or the absence of doctrine. NonDoc takes its lofty motivation from a Walter Cronkite quote where he says, “newspapermen by definition” must be “nondoctrinaire.” With that guiding principle, our journalism is in one way an exploration of stories perhaps overlooked by other outlets, where poignant narratives may be found, or trouble and crisis uncovered.
Some content will be lighthearted and eccentric, simply to shed light on people and phenomena in our community. Many times, satirical stories can teach lessons or reflect creative ideas similarly overlooked and even sometimes dismissed.
We ask our contributors to seek bold and smart stories, with the goal of independent expression. Relatedly, our contract (so to speak) with the brands, companies, individuals and organizations who sponsor our work goes as follows: We will seek the facts and provide analysis, free of bias, in a supportive-sponsor environment that honors the importance of independent journalism and expression in our community, nation and world.
A brief note on my past political career and this site: It may seem logical to assume this endeavor acts as some calculated attempt to extend my personal influence and opinions deeper into our community and state to lay the foundation for a future political campaign. I wouldn’t fault anyone for suspecting as much, but those who know me personally can vouch that another run at a political office is literally one of the least appealing ambitions for me in the near and far terms.
I’m interested in constructive, creative and collaborative work with those who hold a variety of world views. I hope something pragmatic and positive can come of it. Unfortunately, this dynamic cannot ostensibly be fulfilled in public service at this time. This topic and others related to our broken and negatively incentivized political system will surely be ones I address in NonDoc’s commentary section. But that will be the extent of my political expression on this site, an entity in which I have partnered with others, and from which I hope many talented contributors take opportunity.
Sincerely,
Andrew Rice
Publisher
