Editor's Note: How you can help sustain the Winter Park Voice
We value your readership and support as we deliver news about your local government and elections that you can’t find anywhere else
Nov. 9, 2023
Dear Readers,
First, I want to thank you for the warm welcome I received when I came on as editor of the Winter Park Voice earlier this year. Local news is my career-long passion and this has been a hugely rewarding experience so far.
You all have generously supported the Voice for more than 10 years now and it’s that time of year when we are, once again, asking for your contributions. This year we took an important step to keep the Voice sustainable. We are now operating as a non-profit, which means your donations are tax-deductible.
We are a tiny but mighty team and, with your help, we deliver the most reliable in-depth coverage of Winter Park City Hall and beyond. I am the lone employee of our organization, and I am eternally grateful that retired Editor Anne Mooney continues to volunteer her time, sharp skills and wealth of knowledge as a steadfast editor and advisor.
The Voice has a three-member board of directors that is made up of Anne, myself and veteran journalist and Winter Park resident Gerri Throne. Our mission is to deliver accurate, relevant news about Winter Park to everyone who calls this city home, works here or likes to visit.
One feature we debuted this summer is the Weekly Roundup, an emailed newsletter that curates the week’s stories straight to your inbox every Sunday morning. The Roundup and all of the stories we publish are free — and without ads — because of people like you who support us with your contributions.
We keep our overhead low, but it does cost money to maintain our site and to create the content that people in Winter Park count on. That’s why your tax-deductible contributions make such a difference to us and why we are so very grateful for them.
You can donate both online by clicking here or by sending a check to Winter Park Voice, P.O. Box 1543, Winter Park, FL, 32790.
With deepest gratitude as we embark on this season of giving,
Beth Kassab
How much money does someone have to give to The Voice to be given the designation “major funder?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPufogwXneY
Our policy is to disclose donors who contribute more than $5,000. This is in line with the policy from the Institute for Nonprofit News. You can make your check payable to address above and I’m happy to disclose you along with our other supporters.
How does it make any sense to have a non-resident of Winter Park – writer-for-hire – be a DIRECTOR of Winter Park Voice?
Doesn’t Winter Park Voice have any supporters who are RESIDENTS and who are NOT employed by The Voice, who could be a director instead?
Perhaps readers would feel more comfortable giving if The Voice wasn’t only one vote away from being an Orlando Sentinel-ish fake news for hire rag.
You can take the girl out of The Sentinel.
But you can’t take The Sentinel out of the girl.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WO6_IiZ_WI
It’s pretty common for the leader of an organization to also serve on the board. And I’m extremely proud of the experience I bring to the Voice from the Sentinel. I spent many years covering Winter Park and other local governments. You say you don’t like it, but funny you are always the first to read and comment! You may not have noticed, but many of the people who work in Winter Park don’t actually live there. That’s very common in major metro areas and I love living in Oviedo. Thanks for being my most loyal (but always anonymous!) reader.
Beth, where (to what email address) can I send an email with a tip about a Winter Park resident’s serious issues with the City ignoring code violations in his neighborhood?
Thanks for your comment. Send to winterparkvoiceeditor@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
Gotta laugh at the editorial baloney. “the most reliable in-depth coverage of Winter Park City Hall and beyond”. Journalist, propagandist or woman obeying the Big Bucks of Goldman, Strong and Sally on Lk. Virginia? Face it, you’re a stenographer/gofer for Fat Cat editors. I understand. College costs are high. But let’s dispense with the journalism/editorial baloney. I know the sycophants love it and you gotta tell Steve you’ll raise your salary in donations, but this a fraud news site hiding behind “free speech”. I know you’re too chicken to print this, but most rational WPers know about this BS.
Pitt, you sure do spend a lot of time reading and commenting on our site if you truly consider it “BS” … You’ve gotta be one of my Top 5 most loyal readers and I do appreciate you and your points of view so much! For the record, no one who contributes to the Voice has any editorial control over our content. Our donors simply want people in Winter Park to have access to local news and a place for people like you to discuss current events. I love that you spend so much time with us and that you clearly appreciate our services even if you can’t bring yourself to actually say so.
I do appreciate it! How else would I know this commission has raised every possible tax they can raise? They have raised every residential service charge. And they have instituted new taxes. You write about it as PR puff pieces disguised as news. As a taxpayer, I have a right to question it. And I sign my name, as opposed to the other “loyal” readers.
Tyrants hate anonymous comments in the press.
That’s because of America’s long tradition of anonymity in pursuit of liberty.
History tells us that anonymity is nothing new and has been going on since before the American Revolution.
So important is the concept of anonymity to liberty that there may have never been a United States of America if there weren’t anonymous writings printed and published.
Even Ben Franklin wrote anonymous comments. So enjoy your liberty here on WPV.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/benjamin-franklin-was-middle-aged-widow-named-silence-dogood-and-few-other-women-180961781/
As a longtime journalist, I am keenly aware of the distinction between someone who needs anonymity to pursue the truth and bring to light information that would put themselves or others at risk vs. someone who hides behind anonymity to avoid accountability for their untrue, misguided or just plain bizarre comments. No one here is fooling anyone. Hide behind your contrived cloak of nobleness if you want but no one is buying that excuse in the case of most of the anonymous comments on this forum lol.
Pitt has a lot of experience commenting on local news internet sites.
He was one of the original Sentinel commenters back in the early days of the internet when the Sentinel published reader comments.
I would say Pitt is just as much a journalist as anyone else.
What is a journalist anyway?
Somebody who writes about news.
A novelist is someone who writes fiction.
There have been many Sentinel writers over the years who fit in that category too as the paper has become a fake news disseminator.
I don’t have any problem with The Voice stating what it is.
But if The Voice is ever to advance it needs to change the word “trusted” in its mission statement to “honest.”
Because many people trust The Sentinel.
Even though it is a dishonest paper.
It’s possible to be trusted but not honest.
It’s also possible to be honest but not trusted.
Better to be honest and not trusted than trusted and not honest.
Beth, what is your justification for blocking people from commenting on the Winter Park Voice Facebook page?
I have not blocked anyone from commenting on the Facebook page. If someone is blocked, then perhaps they were blocked in the past. I can tell you that I will block people if they are attacking others personally or if they are hijacking threads in a way that turns others off from participating and commenting. We will not allow our threads on this page or on Facebook to be taken over by comments that have no basis in fact or appear intended to intimidate others from engaging in the discussion among other reasons.
Beth,
I have been blocked from the WPV Facebook page for years without explanation.
Please set me free.
Grateful for your hard work and bringing your journalistic talent to our wonderful town. Your reporting is the one thing I can depend on to stay informed.
Full disclosure: For many years I have been reading and commenting on all- things Winter Park reported in WPV, but never sent in a donation check. That said, after reading the latest comments, both anonymous and named, I’ve decided to send in my first check. So why the change of heart? Good question. First, I must give credit to Ann Mooney for reporting on issues that often-inspired residents to stand up and take notice which often resulted in some very harsh and critical comments toward her personally. But then again, I suppose most journalists understand it comes with the territory, however, I’m not sure why they would take on that kind of abuse on a volunteer basis and not question the sanity of continuing it year after year. So, back to why I’m sending a check. Basically, after reading Beth’s responses to the latest comments from anonymous and named readers, I was so impressed with her ability to calmly show respect for any and all opinions, I decided to gladly pay to make sure she continues on. Hopefully, others will agree.
Thank you so much, Ed. That is extremely kind and generous and very much appreciated.
Ed, Did you get some pom-poms for Christmas? 🙂
Happy New Year, I appreciate all of the main journalist that have written for the Voice: Tom, Anne and Beth. They have kept the readers informed and updated with what is happening in Winter Park etc.
I love reading the Voice. Beth, keep up the good work and bless you!