Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Not Beholden: The New Haven Beat

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Public focus is on snow removal, except the NewHavenBeat.  
In light of social justice issues such as fair workers' wages, mass incarceration, unemployment benefit cuts, and a town green ordinance, one new journalism outlet has hard-pressing reporting and real stories to tell about the lives of New Haven citizens.

Currently on its 9th article, the site, published entirely anonymously, has the tell-tale skills of experienced investigative and socially conscious journalism.




From NewHavenBeat:

"At a time in which journalism as a public service has faded into a blur of corporate buyouts, monopolies, and advertising interests, truly independent news has become an anomaly. This is an issue that parallels the condition of society in a broader sense-from politics to where our food comes from. When so much is in the control of so few, “doing it yourself” becomes a direct and revolutionary action, and this is that very action.

 The New Haven Beat does not work for a large media company-or any media company, for that matter. We’re not beholden to some advertiser’s bottom line. We work for you, the people of New Haven, (and anywhere else). This is your story, your narrative-we’re just here to help you tell it."
[source: New Haven Beat "about" page]

The author uses real examples on a local level to relate the stories to the ongoing narrative taking place nationally or across the State of Connecticut. One example in the article about minimum wage:

"While McDonald’s managed to shave over $11.6 million-the amount of “performance pay” heaped onto CEO Donald Thompson’s compensation-off of its tax expenses last year, Tina, who works at one of the chains’ restaurants in Manchester, Connecticut, was living out of her car and struggling to survive on the $8.25 hourly wage that prompted her and a group of 40-50 fast food industry employees to swarm into a New Haven Dunkin Donuts on Thursday afternoon demanding a $15 an hour minimum." [source: New Haven Beat "CONNECTICUT JOINS THE PUSH FOR $15/HOUR"]

New Haven Beat
Current Articles
Feb 18 2014: "BANGIN' ON HEAVEN’S DOOR: A LOOK AT THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOURMET HEAVEN WORKERS"

Feb 18 2014: "TELLING THEIR STORY: FORMER GOURMET HEAVEN EMPLOYEES SPEAK OUT AT YALE"

Jan 27 2014: "MASSES AGAINST MASS INCARCERATION: ACTIVISTS SPEAK OUT AGAINST “THE NEW JIM CROW” ON MLK DAY"

Jan 26 2014: "ADDING INJURY TO INJURY: UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT CUTS ADD TO JOBLESS STRUGGLE"

Jan 26 2014: "PROTEST AND PRAYER: ACTIVISTS CALL OUT MCCHRYSTAL, ALLEGE WAR CRIMES"

Jan 13 2014: "FEET TO THE FIRE: LOCAL ACTIVISTS CHALLENGE NEW HAVEN GREEN ORDINANCE PROPOSAL"

Dec 16 2013: "STRONGER MEDICINE: PATIENTS SEEK ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS"

Dec 9 2013: "RAISING HELL TO RAISE THE MINIMUM: CONNECTICUT JOINS THE PUSH FOR $15/HOUR"