Q&A From Interest Survey

Hello fellow humans!

I received a lot of great questions and feedback that I wanted to take the time to address. Please note, the below in quotations have been paraphrased for clarity and consistency.

Q:"With the advent of social media, there has never been more info on these types of things available at our fingerprints every second of every day, so I question the purpose of this newsletter."

A: This is an extremely valid question and I love that it was asked, because it is true - there is so much information available across a ton of platforms similar to what will be included in the newsletter. The difference is that I won't be focusing on people, places or things that are going viral in our community or receiving a lot of attention. My goal with this newsletter is to uplift the everyday person, small businesses, niche groups, and artists that otherwise do not have media backing (social or otherwise). I want to build community connections and bring awareness and recognition to the efforts of Joe Blow from Fargo that aren't readily visible to the rest of the community.

Q: "I don't want to read another religious, white supremacist, or right-wing propaganda newsletter." (Heavily paraphrased from several different concerns shared)

A: I would like to assure everyone that this newsletter is nonpartisan and will be focusing solely on the positive impact being made in our communities by our community members. While I may include local government updates at times, it will be to highlight the potential impact it will have on our communities as a whole.

As for religion, there will not be an emphasis on any one religious belief. If there is an interesting event, helpful resource, etc. that is featured and religiously aligned, the focus will be on education and impact, not indoctrination, and all religious paths have an equal opportunity to be featured (and I mean all - even the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, should there be an event nearby. . .)

Q:"You should have a readers board that meets once or twice a month to decide the direction of the newsletter."

A: Given that this is a community newsletter that will be built by the readers themselves through content submissions, I would say that this is already the premise with a greater readership voice. With that, the purpose of this newsletter is to be a resource and connector within our communities, which will always be priority and reflected in the content that is featured.

Q:"Will Horace & Dilworth be included?"

A: If the content submitted for those areas are in alignment with the purpose and intent for this newsletter and are available and relevant to the readers in Fargo, Moorhead & West Fargo then sure! However, our primary focus will remain on Fargo, Moorhead & West Fargo for the foreseeable future.