9:00 am | Nov 11, 2009
An important announcement from SBD
A year ago this month, we started Seal Beach Daily as an experiment in hyperlocal community blogging. The response has been tremendous in Seal Beach and far beyond. SBD not only engaged local readers, but it has prompted other media outlets to pay more attention to our corner of Northwest Orange County. We hope that interest continues.
We began with an agreement to publish Seal Beach Daily for one year and then see where we stood. And here is where we are: With its warm community reception and a cadre of loyal followers and advertisers, SBD has grown steadily, but it doesn’t yet produce enough income to support the expansion — in staff or features — that is vital to its continuing quality.
This left us with a tough decision. Where should we go with this intriguing, demanding project? Careful analysis of traffic trends, growth plans, budget requirements, and our other work commitments pointed to a reluctant conclusion: It’s time for us to stop publishing Seal Beach Daily.
This was not an easy call. We are devoted to our community. We loved and sweated SBD into existence and we do not let it go lightly, but we are guided by practical considerations, especially concerning our ability to go forward with a publication of the highest caliber.
So, we will be winding down the site over the next weeks and will stop publishing on Nov. 30. Kate will return to her design, consulting and fine arts business and this month Donna begins a new job as managing editor at a major media company.
We thank all of our daily visitors for their extraordinary enthusiasm and participation during the past year. We are especially grateful to our advertisers who were willing to try something new, extending themselves and their businesses to support online community journalism when it was wholly untried in our area. Of course, there are standout people who deserve our special thanks for their contributions: Duane Uyeda, Peggy Morrison, Kim Masoner, JoAnn Adams, Maj Harmon, Erik Dreyer-Goldman and Seth Eaker. The dynamic Lani Beggs has our undying appreciation.
Our friends and partners at the Orange County Register on Monday rolled out their new website, which includes a Northwest Orange County community news page. We’d like to point you to those efforts and encourage you to contact the Register to let them know what you’d like to see covered in the community.
With sincere thanks,
Kate and Donna
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