One of my 2023 New Year’s Resolutions is to provide more behind-the-scenes and personal perspective stories for San Diego Sun website readers and newsletter subscribers.
To date, updates on my daily mood swings, diatribes about food trends, and candid photos of my dog have not been the foundation of the San Diego Sun.
That’s not going to change drastically. And, okay, truth be told, I don’t have a pet (making me a downtown minority). I do love pooches and kitties, though, and they have been part of San Diego Sun coverage. There was:
- Woof There It Is! The 2022 Gaslamp Quarter Pet Parade
- Dog Days? Redefining the Post-COVID Downtown San Diego
Hot diggety-dog!
Still, puppy prose isn’t at the core of what my news site provides. Rather, it’s:
- Stories and photos about new businesses, restaurants and major events.
- Issues (like homelessness) that affect downtown living.
- Insight into the people themselves who live and work in the city’s urban core.
Since The Sun started up in August 2021, that’s been the focus. Posts have included:
- The return of the Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival
- Newly arriving eatery/bar/karaoke hotspot Gaslamplighter
- The raves received by the the world-class Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
- More than two dozen “Living in the City” people profiles
- Insights into slow moving political action to abate downtown homelessness
Along with all that and more in 2023, I vow to add stories on what’s happening within the working cyberspace of this publication, and, inside my brain.
Old dog. New tricks.
What’s Going On
Big Picture. The San Diego Sun website was just redesigned. Recall, this news outlet started life as a select member of Facebook/Meta’s inaugural Bulletin platform for independent journalists. The Bulletin platform was phased out at the end of 2022.
Consequently, The Sun became part of the Canada-based Indiegraf team. My new website is clean and easily navigable, with clearly marked sections and an easy-to-use search function to find archived stories. Take it for a spin.
Newsletter Subscriptions. Search engines are getting to know thesandiegosun.com. You can check out the site anytime. Or, you can join the 5,000 others who have stories arrive twice a week in their inboxes.
All subscriptions are free. There’s no firewalled content. You can go HERE to subscribe and never miss a story.
Advertising, Sponsorships & Underwritten Content. There’s a financial plan behind giving away all the content for free. The Sun now offers businesses and organizations the opportunity to reach my connected and engaged downtown audience through:
- Display advertising on the website.
- Sponsorship of sections or newsletters.
- Underwritten Content opportunities. (Note: Underwriter partners may specify content areas but do not have editorial control of stories.)
Want more information about these opportunities? Email me (rondonoho@gmail.com). I can send you a media kit and a rate sheet.
Partnerships Sought. Yep, for now, email me about engaging The Sun’s audience. Currently, I’m looking forward to meeting people with ad/sponsorship sales experience who are interested in getting involved with the site. Reach me via email.
Correspondents Being Considered. It’s hard to wrest writing responsibilities out of my hands, but I’m looking to branch out and find downtown correspondents. Unpaid at the moment. If you’re a good writer, in the know about a neighborhood you love, or have a certain area of expertise…email me.
Living In The City. I’m also always looking for downtown residents who have great stories to tell about their own urban lives. These stories come to life as “Living In The City” Q&As. A recent fave: Walk This Way With Stefan Calvaruso. Wanna tell your own story?
Readers Poll. Keep an eye out for an upcoming Readers Poll. I’ll be looking for specifics about what topics you want me to cover on the website. Definitely want to hear if you enjoy posts like this one.
Voice. As an old-school media hound, I spent decades trained to keep myself out of the story. That trend is reversing. Modern reportage seems to favor inserting yourself into the story.
Can’t say I love the trend. However, I’m willing to meet in the middle of traditional, reported journalism and a more me-centric blogging style.
I hope you’ll check out the effort. Or, even tell a friend about the site. And feel free to adopt the easy-breezy messaging once prescribed by the Beatles: “For tomorrow may rain / So I’ll follow The Sun.” SDSun
