The SullivanTimes will mostly be on hiatus from July 30 through August 31.
It's also an opportunity to say thanks to all of you who regularly or periodically peruse our posts - since July 31 marks the fourth anniversary of this page.
And, while I'm away, I'll be assessing whether to continue this work after Labor Day.
One thing I'll consider in making that decision is whether there's a sufficient surge in donations in the coming weeks.
So, if you have enjoyed consuming information here over the past four years, please consider donating at the link here, keeping in mind what value you place on staying informed about critical issues.
If you are already paying for other local newspaper subscriptions, you might have noticed that some important front page stories that are published elsewhere on Tuesdays and Fridays appeared here first. That has occurred with increasing regularity over the past two years.
The SullivanTimes content has always been FREE - yet it has cost more than a few thousand dollars to purchase documents that are necessary for much of the investigative and in-depth reporting that I'd like to continue and expand.
For example, it's a minimum of $150 for a three month subscription just to access basic digital documents via the Sullivan County Clerk's office. (It used to be $15 for three days but that option is longer available).
And, to follow important cases in federal court of concern to Sullivan residents, PACER has a giant monopoly with very high fees just to download a few pages from a lawsuit.
Then there are charges for multiple Freedom of Information Law requests charged by government agencies. But that's information we need to report on the issues you likely would never hear about elsewhere.
Remember, too, that other media that serve Sullivan rely on advertising dollars drawn from governments, politicians, business and non-profits.
But that also means those outlets are often very reluctant to report stories that are anything different than "puff pieces" -when investigative journalism and/or editorial criticism might be called for.
I hope this note better explains what the costs are to do this kind of work and why The SullivanTimes has a very different mission than every media outlet in the region.
Again, I'm gratified that you have given some of your time to read (and sometimes listen to) what we report and post.
Enjoy the balance of summer.
-Rich Klein, Editor and Publisher
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