As the Pacific Citizen's editorial board chair, I love talking to people about the P.C. and its evolution into a world-class news organization, covering issues that are important to JACL, and also serving as the only national newspaper that covers news about Asian Pacific Americans.
And whenever I tell people about the P.C., I tell them how they accomplish their heroic achievements with a staff of only three full-time and one part-time employees.
It's true, I respond to their disbelief. This national newspaper is published twice a month, never missing a deadline and always meeting the budget of national JACL, with only an executive editor, an assistant editor, a business manager and a circulation manager.
Notice that there is no reporter working for the P.C.
There had been a reporter on the P.C. staff, but since the last reporter left several years ago, the position has not been filled. At first the position was left on the budget, but national JACL's finances were tight, and the P.C. staff held off for the good of the organization. At the last convention, the position was simply removed from the budget so the P.C. couldn't even consider hiring a reporter.
Every issue, the articles are written by executive editor Caroline Aoyagi-Stom and assistant editor Lynda Lin.
The P.C. has added a reporter position to the 2010 budget for approval at the Salt Lake City convention, but they're not asking for permission to hire just any reporter. They're hoping to be able to hire an online reporter.
That's because since the P.C. lost its reporter position three years ago, one big change has occurred: the popular Web site, www.pacificcitizen.org, was launched. Like the print edition of the P.C., it's managed with very little resources.
Business manager Brian Tanaka mainly handles the Web site, aside from all his other duties managing the P.C.'s budget, office needs, office networking, advertising and even helping out with the sports coverage. Caroline and Lynda are being trained to pitch in and post articles when needed. I wouldn't be surprised if part-time circulation manager Eva Lau-Ting is trained at some point to help out on the Web site too.
The newspaper gets in the mail on time every issue. But the Web site waits to get updated a week after the print edition is pubished. It's a manual process, and it has to be squeezed in amongst the staff's other tasks.
That's unfortunately the reverse of most news operations, where the articles are posted online first. The new generation of news consumers expects to find the latest news on the Web as it happens. And that new generation is what JACL needs so much to attract for its future.
It's been exciting for me to see the P.C. go online, because I work in the Internet side of the newspaper industry, and I have seen how the Web has already become the main source of breaking news and information for many people. The Internet is where many people now turn when something newsworthy happens, the way we used to turn on the radio, or flip the TV to CNN.
That's why the P.C. is adding the position of online reporter to the biennial budget. And, because national JACL's finances are still precarious, the P.C. is asking for your help to make it possible to hire this online reporter in 2008. This person would be able to write for the newspaper but also be comfortable with technology and be able to post articles directly to the Web site, and offer much-needed help publishing the content from the newspaper online.
In previous P.C. Spring Campaigns, you have helped to fund upgraded equipment for the staff, like better computers and a digital camera. You've also helped in the past two Spring Campaigns by raising enough money to allow the Web site to be launched, and then professionally redesigned.
Your generosity is needed this year to bring the P.C.'s staffing back up to where it was years ago, and to add some skills that will make the P.C. better, and more cutting-edge.
Make this the most successful Spring Campaign yet, and help the P.C. replace the reporter they've needed for several years, with a reporter who can help make the P.C. JACL's news source for the future.
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