A year ago, the Pulse had not yet launched. Its core group of supporters together with its funders knew what we wanted to accomplish.
We observed that Portsmouth news is not community-centric and instead, dominated by corporate media organizations focused on reinforcing their national narrative.
This bias is obvious in the incurious, compliant coverage of city government, both the Council and senior City Management. Compare this to the critical reporting on the previous Council that included the creation of an eponymous nickname applied to only some of the members to delegitimize their decisions.
So, we had identified our mission but still lacked basic things such as technology, a business structure and any sort of staff of writers.
Over the past 12 months, these all came together.
Just as importantly, the issues and topics central to what Portsmouth is, how it’s led and who pulls the levers of government and community have all come to the fore.
Earlier this year when we started, we truly were a voice in the wilderness. We were the proverbial tree falling in the forest. Who heard us?
Today, we boast a dedicated and growing base of readership. Many people know of the Pulse. They know of stands taken, many controversial, many accepted, many persuasive, some dismissed, some mocked. We saw derision coming from those social media channels that prohibited dissent.
Even where the mustard seed has fallen on barren ground, critics say they are glad we are here to shine a light on the topic. As a community mouthpiece, the Pulse happily published many thoughtful Letters to the Editor ignored by the corporate media.
Over the year, we have tackled subjects that our competitors have carefully avoided. We did a 7-part series on the proposed 2024 City budget. We knew we touched some raw nerves in City Management. We knew we were pushing City Councilors to develop a spine, although in the end they were all spineless.
We scooped our competitors by publishing Ted Jankowski’s article that stated the City actually owned the McIntyre building. Our Mayor, our City Manager, our state and federal legislators all ran away from fighting for the City against the entrenched GSA interests. We remain convinced that it was important to show what cowards these politicians are.
Our in-depth election coverage detailed the influence of outside PACs in the City elections.
Our intrepid reporters learned that while the City Council was cajoling residents to take advantage of the tremendous benefits offered by Portsmouth Community Power, the City itself turned down this great “opportunity” to purchase its own energy from this untested source.
Didi’s Dossier, a collection of meticulously-sourced information, produced outrage from the expected corners but frequently struck home more than once. We were amused to see some of the City Councilors “borrow” our proprietary caricatures for use on their own Facebook pages – one even caused quite a dustup at the June Portsmouth 400 Parade.
We also brought new light and interest into the City’s arts, history and local restaurant scene. Sue Polidura’s article on The Whistle at Eaton Falls continues to gather interest. Mike Anderson and Emily Butler’s articles on restaurants, ice cream stores and retailers give our readership new ways to enjoy life in Portsmouth.
These are just some of our top click-getters. Other, more serious articles caught the attention of the City according to conversations reported to us. We know issues such as transparency (what really happened at the State Street Saloon?) and historic preservation remain critical for taxpayers.
A year ago, we were just a glint in our collective eyes. Today, we are often heard of in conversations on the street, in stores and in meetings. We have you to thank for your abiding interest in Portsmouth. Might we even say it is due to your love of the City that we continue to grow and thrive. We are grateful.
