In the era of media conglomeration, to which print media has become increasingly susceptible, there are many voices that have become underrepresented—or, worse, unrepresented altogether. Biased interpretation of news—more commonly known as “spin”—runs rampant, as does bias against what is even included in media coverage, let alone bias along particular political agendas. Sadly, this has been (or has at least come to be) true of Cuyahoga Falls and its surrounding areas as well, just as in major metropolitan and national media markets. In fact, a major media conglomerate that publishes daily newspapers, community papers, and local market websites in 36 states now owns the most widely-distributed Cuyahoga Falls community newspaper as well as the Akron daily newspaper. Hence, we believe Cuyahoga Falls is in need of an alternative media source; enter the Falls Free Press.
The Falls Free Press seeks to position itself as an outlet for “Voices From the Left Bank of the Cuyahoga,” which is a reference to the Rive Gauche, or, the “Left Bank” of the River Seine in Paris, France, which, in the early-20th century, was the artistic hub of Paris, home to many famous writers, artists, critics, publishers, and more. As such, we hope to shine a light on the rich artistic community in and around Cuyahoga Falls, while also publishing timely news and political content that is often overlooked or misrepresented in other publications. Additionally, we will give voice to unique perspectives in the form of editorial and review columns, and we will welcome letters from members of our community to reflect the breadth of attitudes and ideas permeating the community at large, publishing as many as we can in the interest of civil discourse.
Ultimately, a publication such as what we envision the Falls Free Press to be can help bring our community closer rather than strengthen divisions, so we will attempt to be as inclusive as possible. As part of our efforts to bring our community together, we will offer advice on what to see and do around town just as we will suggest ways to be good stewards of our public spaces and the natural environment. We will also offer local businesses and organizations opportunities for advertising, but we will strive to maintain a ratio of content to advertising that privileges content in general.
We hope you find the Falls Free Press an informative, inclusive publication that you will look forward to reading on a monthly basis, but we invite you to return to our website at www.fallsfreepress.com regularly for timely content that may appear within the news cycle in advance of the following print issue. The website also features enhanced media content such as videos, podcasts, and photo galleries to accompany our reporting and editorial voices, so please come back and visit us online. Our print issue will be freely available on racks inside businesses around town and anywhere we can get them in the hands of those in our community, so be on the lookout for us.
We thank you for taking the time to peruse our content—including this admittedly long editorial statement—and we look forward to serving you as your Falls Free Press.
