Newspapers left Albany behind. I want to fix it.
In November 2023, Peter Goodman started asking friends: Why can’t we have a proper news site dedicated to Albany?
I'm Peter Goodman. I’ve lived in Albany for over 40 years. Two kids through all 12 years of Albany schools.
I walk everywhere and notice the broken sidewalks and new businesses. I dodge the cars and sometimes I am the car. I’m nosy about new construction and worry about overbuilding, climate change and public safety.
In short, I’m invested in Albany. As are you, I bet.
Just about everything that happens here affects me and my quality of life. When I first moved here in the 1980s, I subscribed to three newspapers: one national and two local.
Over time, the papers shrank their staffs and their reporting. At some point I ditched everything but the New York Times. I needed national news, because whatever nefarious schemes Washington hatched would impact me at some point.
But the local papers stopped covering Albany, except maybe for a food truck review or some curious crime story. So I gave up on them just as they had given up on me.
But I did not give up on the news.
In November 2023, I got inspired and began writing to friends, asking, Why can’t we have a proper news site dedicated to Albany?
I had two key requirements:
- that the site be impartial, nonpartisan and information oriented; that is, not issue driven or politically motivated (but it does investigate, and fairness, justice, honesty and democracy matter)
- that the site adhere to the highest standards of journalism (fact-based reporting, well written and edited, sources verified)
In time, our informal advocacy group became the Albany News Project.
We are now working with Emilie Raguso and Albany Scanner to raise $50,000 by April 30 to pay for high-quality news reporting, now and into the future.
The internet is full of opinions. A lot of what you see on NextDoor is both informative and entertaining. But it’s not journalism.
It takes real skill and professional experience to sit through a City Council meeting or plow through a planning document and then summarize it clearly and succinctly so that ordinary voters (people like me) can truly understand what’s at stake.
If you care about Albany, its schools, its future, the life it offers residents, stay informed and help bring to Albany just the kind of news you want to read.
Sincerely,
Peter Goodman
The Albany News Project
P.S. In our small town, every subscriber will make a difference if we want to bring news back to Albany. Please consider chipping in now.
