FSRN’s Jacob Resneck on ownership of independent media

FSRN is a unique institution. Untethered to any corporation, private foundation or government agency, its editors and reporters are free to chase and report stories that are important to listeners of community radio stations across North America and beyond.

I’ve been working regularly with FSRN as a freelancer since 2009. It was apparent from the onset that there was something different about this news organization. FSRN covers stories from far flung places but also provides what many others don’t: deeper context. FSRN not only reports on who is really affected, but what can be done about it.

That’s impact and it’s what makes independent journalism important.

But such a no-strings-on-a-shoestring arrangement comes with a price. We like to boast that there are no deep-pocket foundations, no state institutions or corporate interests influencing us. But that also means the buck is passed directly to you the listener.

Of course it’s difficult for 99 out of 100 of us to give – especially this time of year – but a donation to FSRN gives a sense of ownership in what we’re doing. That’s because FSRN’s only owners are its listeners, whether they donate or not.

Of course we hope you do donate so we can continue to bring national and international stories directly to your local community station and via our website. So please consider supporting FSRN with a tax-deductible donation today.