I like the Two River Times, the weekly newspaper publication that has lots of ads, lots of photos, many stories, and some obituaries…they limit the number they print in a week.
Photo Courtesy of the Two River Times
I like the Two River Times because I wrote for it when Claudia Ansorge first took that feisty step and dared to put out another weekly newspaper in the area more than 30 years ago. She did it with hard work, talent, and a lot of class.
When Claudia sold it to Geraldo Rivera I worked for him as well, though we did not always agree on editorial content. He listened to reason, however, understood different points of view and even allowed them. For that, I have respect for him.
But today, this weekly publication isn’t a newspaper anymore. It is a nonprofit organization, though it’s difficult to see what the non-profit is that it is supporting. Is it supporting this publisher’s versions of what are the important news stories of the day?
Or is it supporting a non-profit status that is now exempt from taxes because it is a “public charity.” You can contribute to the Two River Times….those dollar a week costs should count….and have them be tax deductible. Or you can send over a gift of $100 and get home delivery along with the tax deduction.
The publisher makes it clear “The Two River Times wouldn’t exist without your support.” But what do you get with your support? More news than you would get from a newspaper that pays its own way without a tax deduction?
More news than you would get from say, The Patch,” which comes out every day with news from throughout Monmouth County?
Heck, the Two River Times doesn’t even promise accuracy, truthfulness or both sides of a story in their non-profit publication. Every week they let you know that by clearly explaining that “The Two River Times takes no position with respect to the accuracy or otherwise as to the content of any article published or opinion expressed herein.”
The publication used the same media on which it does not publish its publication as a non-profit organization to solicit funds for its non-profit status.
Recently, it posted “Today is Giving Tuesday, an annual global movement that encourages people to give back to their communities and support causes they care about. “ It goes on to explain it is “ a crucial fundraising day for us “ asking for donations over an above” your purchase of the paper every week” ii you feel they have been giving the best reporting possible. They needed to raise $2,000 by that night, their plea said, since they have a campaign goal of $10,000.
Why does a publication, that charges if you want to buy one, and have other means of support, still have to ask for donations because it is a non-profit? Again, as a non-profit, what worthy cause is it supporting other than its own publication?
The publication makes it clear “The work we do is only possible when our readers step up to support it…funding our reporters and helping keep our stories free for those who can’t afford it otherwise.”
The truth may lie in the law passed this year and taking full effect March 1. Finally, municipalities will no longer to have their legals printed in local newspapers.
Finally, the state legislature has come to realize people can use the state, or the county, or the borough’s own websites to print the legals it now costs them by the line to publish in a paper. People have to pay to get. The legislature has apparently listened and realizes that today’s readers tend to read lots of different types of media, do look at municipal pages with all their information and finally do appreciate being able to read in larger than 4 or 5 point print.
The move will save thousands of tax dollars for people throughout New Jersey
No longer will there be a mandate requiring all legal advertising for municipalities, be it for notice of a meeting, adoption of a new regulation or a public hearing for a variance, be printed in a legal newspaper. Instead, the law makes it clear municipalities and counties have to meet specific mandates as well, publishing all their legal advertising on their official website, and offer free and easy access to it.
They must make the website free and accessible, with a direct hyperlink to legal notices placed “conspicuously” on the homepage. The law even says the secretary of state would help set up a website to include notices from public entities statewide. Public agencies will have to display notices on the website for at least one week and store them in an online archive for at least one year afterward. Starting January 1, all public entities will have to publish an advertisement twice a month in online news outlets, together with links to their legal notices webpage. Municipalities will also have to show they are printing their legals with notices in a conspicuous place on their website, and they have to keep the legals available for at least one week and store them for at least one year.
It’s one of the few laws in New Jersey that was passed either unanimously or with only two or three folks dissenting in one House, approved unanimously in the Senate.
So how much will it save taxpayers? Perhaps only $100 or $200 every time they advertise a special meeting, or an event. But several hundreds of dollars when they have to publish a proposed ordinance or the complete budget. Those hundreds of dollars turn to thousands and add up even quicker when municipalities advertise them in more than one newspaper, which is also fairly common,
It’s even considerably more savings at the Monmouth County level. Did you ever notice the number of Sheriff’s Sales that are advertised on a regular basis? Or don’t you even look at the legal advertising sections of newspapers?
Erasing those hundreds of dollars of checks every week from a variety of local municipalities does save the taxpayers money. But it means that one time newspaper that is now a non-profit TAX free organization and has been collecting those hundreds of dollars each month now has to find other sources of income to keep its publication afloat.
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