Broward Bulldog

News from Broward Bulldog

For immediate release

Date: July 9, 2010

Contact: Kitty Barran, Director of Business Development, 954-817-3434 or kbarran@browardbulldog.org

Re: Broward Bulldog accepted into Investigative News Network

FORT LAUDERDALE – Broward Bulldog has been accepted into the Investigative News Network. The Investigative News Network is a national collaboration of nonprofit journalism organizations that conducts investigative reporting in the public interest.

Only 40 organizations have been offered membership by the Investigative News Network. Membership requires meeting rigorous operational and reporting standards and solidifies Bulldog’s position as a credible source of hard-hitting local news.

The decline of the for-profit print newspaper industry has sparked a burgeoning not-for-profit model which recognizes the changing landscape of news delivery and consumption. Successful news organizations are moving away from the labor-intense and high-overhead printing process to one of 2.0-based efficiency, around-the-clock access and mobility.

 However, instant news gratification must have checks and balances to ensure the integrity of the source and the content. Voluntary membership in The Investigative News Network is one way on-line, non-profit news organizations can be held accountable for their business practices and the information they gather and release.

 “To be recognized by our peers for our contributions to this emerging model is one of the best compliments we can receive,” said Dan Christensen, Editor of Broward Bulldog. “We look forward to helping build the foundation of collaborative journalism and learning from one another.”

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 Broward Bulldog is an independent, not for profit online-only newspaper created to provide authoritative local reporting in the public interest. We are Florida’s first non-profit regional news site staffed by veteran, professional journalists. Our reporters provide issue-oriented and investigative coverage of government, politics, the courts, education, business, the environment, health and public safety. For more information about contributions and sponsorships, contact Kitty Barran, Director of Business Development, at 954-817-3434 or kbarran@browardbulldog.org.

 

News from Broward Bulldog

For immediate release

Date: June 10, 2010

Contact: Kitty Barran, Director of Business Development, 954-817-3434 or kbarran@browardbulldog.org

Re: Broward Bulldog Announces Board of Directors

FORT LAUDERDALE – Broward Bulldog, South Florida’s first non-profit investigative online news source, is pleased to announce its board of directors.

These individuals have agreed to volunteer their time to provide expertise and input for the organization’s business principles and practices and to help Broward Bulldog become the county’s premier local news site.

Jay Alexander – Chairman, InTown Publishing and Intown411.com

Alexander is a South Florida businessman who founded InTownUSA Publishing in 2006. The Intown411 website is dedicated to what’s happening in Fort Lauderdale’s entertainment and dining scenes. Alexander also owns and operates pedicab companies in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miami, Washington, D.C., Boston, Newport, RI and New York City.

Kevin P. Boyd – Owner of Boyd Public Relations and former managing editor, Hollywood Sun-Tattler

Boyd enjoyed a 17-year, award-winning career as a newspaper reporter and editor for such major news providers as the Chicago Tribune Co., Knight-Ridder, Scripps Howard and United Press International. For the past 19 years, he has worked as a senior account executive and partner/owner at three prominent Florida public relations firms.

William H. Frank – Certified Public Accountant

Frank, of Pembroke Pines, is one of the nation’s foremost forensic accountants. His firm provides specialized professional services to attorneys and accountants involved in federal criminal trials for fraud, tax evasion conspiracy in tax fraud and commercial transactions, money laundering, and director and officer liability and corporate shareholder litigation.

Lisa Gibbs – Senior Writer at MONEY magazine and former executive business editor of The Miami Herald

Gibbs has covered a variety of personal finance topics since joining MONEY in 2009. As the Herald’s executive business editor, she supervised business coverage in print, radio and online. During her tenure, the Herald’s Business section twice won a Best in Business award for General Excellence from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW). Gibbs is on the board of SABEW and chairs the organization’s international committee, which is working on projects to promote business journalism excellence outside the United States. Born in Hollywood, she graduated from the University of Miami and is a 7^th-generation South Florida native.

Florence Beth Snyder – First Amendment attorney and former Administrative Law Judge in the Southern District of Florida

Snyder is a former general counsel to Palm Beach Newspapers, Inc.  Her media clients have included Miami ’s Channel 7, USA TODAY, the Ft. Myers News-Press, the Independent Florida Alligator, and radio talk show host Randi Rhodes. Snyder has chaired The Florida Bar’s Media Law Conference and Reporters’ Workshop, and is a past recipient of the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County’s Juvenile Advocacy Award.  She was a Supreme Court appointee to the Board of the Florida Bar Foundation, and sits on the advisory board of the Bureau of National Affairs’ Media Law Reporter. She has served as a trustee of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, a school for journalists which owns the St. Petersburg Times. She lives in Tallahassee.

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Broward Bulldog is an independent, online-only newspaper created to provide authoritative local reporting in the public interest. We are Florida’s first non-profit regional news site staffed by veteran, professional journalists. Our reporters provide issue-oriented and investigative coverage of government, politics, the courts, education, business, the environment, health and public safety. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter and share our links with your networks. Broward Bulldog is a 501(c)(3) organization and is supported by your tax-deductible contributions. For more information, contact Kitty Barran, Director of Business Development, at 954-817-3434 or kbarran@browardbulldog.org.

 

News from Broward Bulldog

For immediate release

Date: June 2, 2010

Contact: Kitty Barran, Director of Business Development, 954-817-3434 or kbarran@browardbulldog.org

Re: Broward Bulldog receives not-for-profit status; contributions now tax-deductible

FORT LAUDERDALE – Broward Bulldog, South Florida’s only independent online source for investigative journalism, has received tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service.  An IRC 501(c)(3) certification opens the door for the organization to accept tax-deductible contributions to pay for operating expenses and to continue to fill the investigative news void left by large staff reductions at area newspapers.  

Print publications around the country are faced with declining subscription and ad revenues and have had to cut back staff and reduce coverage to stay in operation. A new niche journalism model is emerging;  not-for-profit news sites are taking up the slack and delivering the news by adapting to the new market reality of media.

Broward Bulldog was launched in October 2009 and regularly posts articles about Broward County’s judicial, political and business communities. Articles are distributed on the website, through Twitter and Facebook, and have been picked up by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, The Miami Herald and many other online and print publications. The site has experienced significant growth since its inception, attracting nearly 35,000 page views in May.

The new tax-exempt status also makes Broward Bulldog’s first fund raising initiatives possible. Bulldog can now apply for foundation grants, embark on email marketing and internet outreach campaigns, plan special events and engage in one-on-one networking. 

Solid, credible news comes from experienced journalists and editors who must be compensated for the critical work they do. Bulldog will raise money to pay for the research, interviews, reporting, writing, editing, photography – the essential elements of news – and marketing necessary to build the organization.

“This recognition is an important step toward establishing Broward Bulldog as the go-to watchdog resource for Broward County’s 1.75 million residents,” said Dan Christensen, founder and editor. “It is not our intent to replace or displace any of the area’s respected news sources. We believe there is a role for each of us. In a very short period of time, readers have come to trust Broward Bulldog to keep an eye on our community and watch out for corruption and injustice. Contributions will ensure we meet that goal.”

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Broward Bulldog is an independent, not for profit online-only newspaper created to provide authoritative local reporting in the public interest. We are Florida’s first non-profit regional news site staffed by veteran, professional journalists. Our reporters provide issue-oriented and investigative coverage of government, politics, the courts, education, business, the environment, health and public safety. For more information, contact Kitty Barran, Director of Business Development, at 954-817-3434 or kbarran@browardbulldog.org.

 

 

News from Broward Bulldog For immediate release

Date: January 15, 2010

Contact: Kitty Barran, director of development. 954-817-3434 kbarran@browardbulldog.org

FORT LAUDERDALE — Independent online news source Broward Bulldog is making headlines — literally. An article posted on www.BrowardBulldog.org on Monday went viral this week making news in Chicago, New York and Washington, and hit the front pages of dozens of blogs and general interest websites around the country. That kind of buzz underscores the power of the Internet for news distribution and the appeal of well-written, journalistically sound stories.

The saga about a 78-year-old woman who was inexplicably lost for more than two weeks in the bowels of the Broward County, Fl. judicial system resonated with readers. After being overlooked by the public defenders’ office, Gabrielle Shaink Trudeau spent 15 days in Broward County Jail for a traffic ticket. She was ordered released at her arraignment in December after prosecutors told a judge her license was not suspended. 

Traffic on the Bulldog website logged more than 25,000 hits after the story went up Monday morning, and posted comments included, “shame on you all,” “When you don’t have accountability and you don’t have to make a profit, you end up with mediocrity,” “EVERY person who could have made a difference but did nothing — should be disciplined,” and “Talk about falling through the cracks!”

Reporting that generates that kind of visceral reaction does not come cheap, but steep declines in newspaper circulation and advertising have threatened that traditional community service. In fact, it cost Bulldog reporter and editor Dan Christensen his job. After nearly 30 years as an investigative reporter, Christensen was let go from the Miami Herald in the second quarter of 2009 because of budget cuts. They simply couldn’t afford to keep him on staff.

Christensen passionately believes that good journalism is worthwhile journalism no matter how it’s distributed, but also knows that you can’t get something for nothing.

“The market no longer delivers all the news and information our democracy needs,” said Christensen. “We’ve moved from a printed, subscription- and advertising-based model that generated enough revenue to pay reporters’ salaries, to a free on-line news distribution system that ignores the costs associated with in-depth investigative journalism. The free model might support blogs and consumer activism but cannot sustain quality reporting. We must find a way to keep watchdog journalism alive.”

The non-profit Broward Bulldog is building on the successes of alternative journalism sites around the country which recognize that people no longer get the bulk of their news from a printed newspaper, but get it in their inboxes, find it posted on their Facebook pages or receive it from their Twitter accounts.

By applying for grants, soliciting sponsorships and accepting advertising dollars, Christensen hopes to cover the overhead that comes with delivering a quality news product. But individuals who rely on alternative news sources will have to accept more responsibility to fund their existence. Christensen is exploring voluntary membership funds, similar to those raised by public radio, as a way to keep the Bulldog operating.

“I encourage anyone who sees the value in this kind of journalism to donate. Your contribution is truly the difference between knowing and not knowing what’s going on – these stories are no longer coming only from for-profit newspapers. We love what we do, we do it for those who have no voice, no advocates, but we can’t do it for free.”

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Broward Bulldog is an independent, not for profit online-only newspaper created to provide authoritative local reporting in the public interest. We are Florida’s first non-profit regional news site staffed by veteran, professional journalists. Our reporters will provide issue-oriented and investigative coverage of government, politics, the courts, education, business, the environment, health and public safety.

We begin as an all-volunteer operation and will continue only through the financial support of concerned individuals, foundations and businesses that value local news and watchdog journalism. To give your support, visit http://www.BrowardBulldog.org and click on “Donate.” Broward Bulldog Inc. has applied for federal tax exempt status as a 501(c)(3) organization.