Like many of you, we are using this Thanksgiving Day to recount the events of the last year for which we owe a debt of gratitude. And we have got quite a list going!
It is with much thankfulness that we can say we have made great strides in the last year to increase the amount of content we provide each week. In turn, we have seen a jump in readership, increased engagement and an uptick in revenue.
Journalism can be a mercurial business, as the media landscape shifts swiftly and often with little warning. We take our obligation to our readers to provide transparent, accurate content very seriously. In an age where bots are distributing bogus stories posing as hard news across social media platforms and political leaders would rather accuse legitimate reporters of being “fake news” than answer tough questions, we believe the work of professional journalists is more important than ever before.
Freelance stories you care about
That is why we were excited to be able to hire a veteran freelance reporter, Jeff Packham, to examine the cannabidiol (CBD) oil market in Oklahoma — a state that has traditionally looked on marijuana and its many byproducts with a critical and often unwelcoming eye. Yet thousands of Oklahomans are finding this product to be a safe and effective alternative to traditional medicine, including topical treatments for targeted pain and swelling relief. The first of these two companion pieces has been one of this month’s most read and shared stories, even outpacing coverage of the governor wielding her veto power last Friday night.
We are thrilled that Packham has recently landed himself a new job, but we are excited to continue working with other freelance reporters. Our ability to hire those writers to produce this kind of content, however, is a direct result of your continued support of our Writers’ Fund contributions.
If you are reading this and you want to help us continue hiring reporters to cover the topics you care about, consider becoming a Writers’ Fund contributor. You can make a one-time donation or become a monthly sustainer. Either way… thank you.
Creative and engaging advertisements
We can’t forget our advertisers. In fact, another highly circulated story this month was a funded content piece — Help OK Foster Wishes find a fire-breathing dragon — highlighting the partnership among OK Foster Wishes, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services to make sure the 6,000 kids in foster care this holiday season receive gifts from caring community members. It is a joy to work with local efforts like this one and local businesses to provide creative and engaging advertisements.
Maybe you are a local business owner reading this thinking you would like to purchase a funded content piece or an ad spot on our site to get your product or service in front of our growing readership. If so, you can submit an ad request using our online form.
Our gratitude for you
Thank you to our readers, our supporters and our advertisers for sharing our values and investing in our work. We owe you a debt of gratitude.
