MICHAEL BALTER
OCT 23
Welcome to the first issue of a new publication devoted to the village I have lived in for the past four years and come to love, Croton-on-Hudson in New York’s Hudson Valley. The first question many Crotonites (as we are called, I think somewhat unfortunately, I would have preferred Crotonians) will ask is, why do we need a new publication? After all, we already have The Gazette, a weekly newspaper, and a number of Facebook groups devoted to various aspects of village life.
First of all, I think The Gazette and its editor, Gary Cahill, do a very good job of covering the basic news in Croton and several surrounding communities. So this newsletter is not intended to compete with that esteemed newspaper. On the other hand, The Gazette has certain limitations: For one thing, it is not online, and there are no signs that it will be online anytime soon. That means the articles are necessarily short, and there is little room for longer features, profiles, or—what The Croton Chronicle will offer as part of its overall package—investigative reporting into village politics, culture, and economic affairs.
As many reading this probably know, I have been dabbling in that kind of investigative reporting on some of the local Facebook groups, something I am qualified to do. I have been a journalist for 45 years, and taught the subject for many years to graduate and undergraduate students at Boston University, New York University, and the City College of New York. Some of my posts on those groups have been controversial (nothing wrong with that, even if some might not agree) and of course they have been subject to moderation by the administrators of the groups and, in at least one case, deletion and censorship.
One of my friends in Croton, someone who has lived here many years, explained to me that the village has never really had a resident investigative reporter willing or able to dig into village affairs (I will bet someone will contradict that, and I would be very interesting in hearing about it.) I suppose some might protest that investigative reporting about our village is not necessary or desired. But even in my short time here I have seen that is not true—and I know that many agree.
Nevertheless, I don’t want to give the impression that this is going to be primarily a muckraking publication. Investigations are very labor intensive, take a lot of time, and there are many positive and non-controversial topics to write about in a lovely village like this. For example, this newsletter will feature profiles of Croton people who, either through their personal activities and interests and/or their hands on the levers of village power and politics, help to make this village tick. But the one thing I can offer, and which I think is essential for covering a community like this properly and honestly, is complete editorial independence. As editor and publisher, I will be beholden to no one nor will I fear any person or any subject (of course there will be no advertising.)
Now for some logistics. I already publish another Substack newsletter, “Words for the Wise,” for which subscribers have the choice of whether to pay for it or not. That newsletter is quite eclectic and broad in scope (you are welcome to check it out), and I have kept my promise never to make anyone take out a paid subscription.
With The Croton Chronicle, the deal will have to be different. This will be a subscriber-based publication, so that I—like any other professional journalist—can be compensated for the considerable time I expect to put into it. The subscription rate will be low: Only $5.00/month, $50.00/year, or you can take out a lifetime founder’s sub for $200.00. However, no one will have to pay right away. I believe that Substack allows a seven-day free trial, and as you can see from the button at the top of this post, I will offer a 30-day free trial to anyone who wants one.
I fully realize that no one is going to pay for this newsletter unless they feel they are getting value for money. So for now, I am not going to turn on the paid subscription feature, meaning that anyone can read this for free right now; in return, please be patient while I gear up to post weekly, as I will when things get up and running at full speed (I hope that will be very soon.) Of course, if you want to pay now (eg, you know me or my work and figure it will be worth it), you can do that.
I’ve already got some exciting things lined up for subsequent issues, and I hope you will at least sign on now for free and take a look-see at what I do (you can cancel at any time, of course.)
Finally, on most posts there will be a comments button (see below) where you can provide feedback (Rules: No personal attacks or bigotry) and you should feel free to contact me personally with any suggestions or feedback you prefer to keep private.
For me, this is a new adventure, and I admit that I approach it with some trepidation. I hope you will find it an adventure too, and worthy of your time.
With best wishes,
Michael Balter
PS—Please also bear with me while I play with graphics and design, which are somewhat limited in Substack newsletters but I will do my best to make this attractive.
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