I’ve said all along I hope this blog gets put out of business one day — that an actual media outlet comes along and devotes the time and energy necessary to cover South Milwaukee and the South Shore the way it deserves to be.
Well, it seems like the trend is moving the other way.
The latest example of the decline of local news coverage: The laying off of a number of local Patch editors later this week … Oak Creek included. I expect that will also mean the end of the actual Oak Creek Patch website, but who knows?
In the end, it doesn’t much matter. Without an actual journalist covering Oak Creek, it joins the long list of local communities lacking regular, independent news coverage — and that’s a loss for all of us.
We need more Patches, not less.
We are all better served when we have a media outlet or outlets truly interested in what’s happening locally. Important news and information gets disseminated. Events and activities get promoted. And government officials get a watchdog.
We don’t have this currently. NOW may be printed on newsprint, but with only user-generated content, a police blotter and legal notices, it’s not a newspaper. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel rarely shows an interest in South Milwaukee. And the television and radio news stations only show up when something is bleeding.
The loss of Patch is yet another blow — another reason that I’ll keep on keeping on with South Milwaukee Blog. I am happy to do what I can to keep residents informed on key news and information. Someone has to.
South Milwaukee Blog 