SHELBY — Richland Source is headed north. We’re growing our team and hiring a full-time staff reporter who will concentrate on Shelby and northern Richland County.
The Source is growing while other newsrooms shrink because leaders at six area companies stepped up in a big way. These organizations chose to invest in the independent local reporting Shelby and the North County need.
“Supporting Richland Source’s expansion in our region is about making an investment in quality, hyperlocal, independent journalism. It’s in everyone’s best interest to have local news stories and events covered by journalists rooted in our communities.”
-Angela Phillips, CEO Phillips Tube Group
We are very thankful to Phillips Tube Group, R.S. Hanline, ArcelorMittal, Lloyd Rebar, Hess Industries, and Shelby Printing. Their extraordinary vision and commitment to the residents of the North County made today possible.
A long time coming
Source staffers heard for years that Shelby and the North County wanted better local reporting. Those were all one-off conversations, though. Not enough to make a business plan around.
More than a year ago, we began listening to residents in a structured way to see if an expansion plan was feasible and viable. First, the project aimed to see if there was a broad appetite for more local news coverage. Then, we mapped out the community support (translation:💰) to make it happen.
“This investment in local news is a great opportunity to bring people back to our area.”
– Ashley Canfield, ArcelorMittal
Our team included long-time Shelby resident and Richland Source Solutions and Engagement Editor Brittany Schock. We interviewed dozens of community stakeholders, conducted surveys, and hosted listening sessions throughout the early part of 2022.
A clear picture emerged. Citizens wanted to be more informed, engaged, and connected to one another and the rest of the region. They did not, however, want to lose their identity as “from the north.”
We’ll pay attention to business, education, government, sports and general interest news from Shelby and the North County, of course. In addition, our focus groups pointed us to questions like:
- How is Shelby and the North County planning for growth and development?
- Will we have a workforce ready for the future?
- Where should we go to eat, drink and be merry?
- How might we learn about our shared history?
- What are the options for us to live healthy and fulfilling lives?
A long-term community-driven approach
The investment from our founding coalition buys the time to create a full-time position that tells the story of Shelby and the North County, but nothing lasts forever.
The position will become self-supporting through a combination of individual memberships, advertising, and corporate partnerships.
We’ve set a goal to reach 500 members in Shelby and the surrounding area by the end of 2023. We hope you’ll take advantage of our special offer to purchase a Supporter membership today for only $1 a month until our launch in June!
What’s next?
Well, to start with, we’re hiring! Feel free to share the job description with qualified friends or neighbors. We plan to have a candidate hired by June.
Beyond that, here’s some great opportunities as we barrel toward an official launch day in June.
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Subscribe to the free North County Source newsletter. It pulls together all the news from Shelby and the surrounding area into one place and delivers it to your inbox.
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If you’re a North County business owner, sign up for an early heads-up of our June launch specials.
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Help us assign your reporter’s first stories by sending us a tip or a question.
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Take advantage of our limited-time membership promotion.
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Oh, and join us at the Black Fork Commons Plaza for a ribbon-cutting on April 24 to meet the team and celebrate with us.
Finally, thank you to the Shelby and North County residents who helped guide us through this community-driven process. We would not be announcing this without them.
We’re incredibly grateful to our founding coalition, who stepped up to invest in the community they love through our reporting and journalism.
Phillips Tube Group
R.S. Hanline / The Hanline Group
ArcelorMittal
Lloyd Rebar
Hess Industries
Shelby Printing
Will this be a whole new website? Nope. The reporting will appear on Richland Source to stay consistent with our county-wide coverage areas.
What if I just want the news from the Shelby area? That’s easy. Subscribe to North County News, which is the free newsletter that will wrap-up all the news that matters most to readers from the North County.
When are you accepting applications for this new reporter position? We’re accepting applications starting today.
Is the position full time? Yes! You can find details and a job description at our position listing and learn more from the enclosed video.
How will you make this position sustainable for the long haul? The reporting will become sustainable through a combination of individual and corporate memberships and local advertising and marketing services.
What is your membership goal? We’ve set a goal of 500 members by the end of 2023.
Will you have an office in Shelby? Probably not at first. As the old saying goes, “not much news happens in a newsroom.” We’re more interested in being places where people are, so a physical office won’t be the first priority.
A Newsroom Partnership is financial support for the independent local journalism produced by our reporters and editors. It associates an organization’s brand with rigorous, trusted reporting that seeks to make our community a better place to live and work. Newsroom Partnerships provide a way for employers to invite their team into a news ecosystem trusted 34 times more than national media. 100% of Newsroom Partner funding is dedicated to reporting and editing budgets.
Newsroom Partners do not approve, read, edit, or otherwise influence the reporting of our newsroom. They understand that they will not like every headline. They trust, however, that our reporting is independent and fair and that we will always keep the good of our community at the center of our coverage. Newsroom Partners sometimes provide expertise, wisdom, or connections to subject-matter experts that our newsroom may not know about, which we take care to disclose in our reporting.
