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During our fall 2013 Membership Drive, we are asking you to support an editorial expansion at Crosscut. In the coming days and weeks, our writers and supporters will delve deeply into some of the editorial areas where we envision expansion.
To meet the need and demand for editorial coverage, Crosscut must augment its editorial team – writers, editors and photo, video and data visualization capabilities – in all of these areas to bring readers like you intelligent analysis and engaging journalism. Become a member to support a stronger Crosscut for a smarter region.
Seattle
Our largest readership is in Seattle. There is considerable demand for increased and sustained coverage of City Hall, but also of neighborhoods, the arts, science and technology, transportation and urban ecology. Crosscut needs to grow its editorial team in order to provide intelligent, engaging analysis in these diverse topic areas.
Eastside
Bellevue and surrounding communities (Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah and Woodinville) have no daily newspaper. The weeklies there, not to mention Seattle’s sole remaining daily, are straining to cover the burgeoning growth on the Eastside. Crosscut has developed a plan to cover education, transportation and other pressing policy issues facing the Eastside.
Olympia
Last year, Crosscut made a decision — and a financial commitment — to cover Olympia’s historic legislative session. We did so with limited funding because we felt it was the right thing to do. Our extensive coverage attracted a considerable following and helped counter the decline in state capitol news coverage. The stakes in the coming legislative session promise to be equally high. Crosscut needs to be there. To cover Olympia properly, we need two reporters and a portion of an editor. That takes money, and we could use your help.
Great Nearby
Seattle, the Eastside and Olympia constitute our largest geographies for readership. The “Great Nearby” — Tacoma, Portland, eastern Washington and other communities throughout Puget Sound — merits the same level of in-depth coverage and analysis.
Politics and Policy
Public affairs news coverage is declining in the region and nationally. Yet, politics and policy stories are frequently our most popular. Profiles of candidates and office holders, and insights into the data and budgets and behind-the-scenes horsetrading that shapes laws and sets policies help us, as citizens, make more informed decisions. We are proud of our new “Kids@Risk” series. Help us keep politics and policy reporting a priority for Crosscut.
Urban life
Whether you live in Redmond or Seattle, getting from place to place, deciding what to do this weekend, figuring out what your taxes are paying for or which school your kids should attend are all important to you. Cuts to Metro buses, traffic, property taxes and high school graduation rates are stories Crosscut should cover but we need the resources to do so.
Culture
Arts and culture coverage, both news and criticism, have been essential parts of Crosscut’s growth since its inception. Our archive is rich with dance, music, books, sports, theater, visual arts and architecture stories, but over the past six months we’ve sat down with many of today’s local arts leaders and thinkers one-on-one as well as in groups to explore what is missing. We've been curious" What's missing, what's needed in our regional arts communities? We’ve pursued foundation grants to support our expansion in this area, but a critical part of that grant is showing that our members care about, and also support arts and culture coverage.
Economy
The Seattle area is among the most innovative, jobs-oriented regions in the world. Crosscut must expand its reporting and analysis to incorporate deeper coverage of technology, higher education and job training, aviation and R&D.