Delaware Valley News.com Celebrates A Decade Of Reporting
A NOTE FROM PUBLISHER AND EDITOR ALEX LLOYD GROSS
When this was launched on December 1, 2015, it was time to see whether this idea would float or sink—and if it did, by how much. Millions of views later, I think I can call this endeavor a success. I started this to cover the news because I saw a serious void in local coverage.
On October 10, 1983, I started with the News Gleaner, a weekly paper in Northeast Philadelphia. On December 8, 2008, the paper closed its doors forever. Any ideas on what to do or how to cover stories were meaningless without a vehicle to publish them.
A brief stint in online reporting and journalism with Examiner.com proved that people really want to know what is going on in their community. That entity was run from Denver, and while the idea behind it was novel, it was not executed to fruition. I left in October 2015. I had an idea to form this paper, and I thought now would be the perfect time to do it.
This has not been easy. If something were easy, everyone would do it. A lot has changed in 10 years. Some stories have gotten over 100,000 views, others fewer than 10. No one reads a printed newspaper from cover to cover anymore. It is getting to the point that people barely read printed newspapers at all. Online is the way to go.
“What’s happening? Why are the police on my street? Where are the fire trucks going? Did my elected official really do that?” Those are the questions people want answers to—and they want them quickly. Not tomorrow, not next week, but as soon as possible. I have tried to do this, and it looks like my ideas worked.
This endeavor could not have been accomplished alone. Many people have helped along the way by writing, contributing content, or submitting tips. Not to mention buying an ad for this site. I thank you all. Did I ever think this would last as long as it has? Yes. I had faith in what I was doing. Putting out a good product without a paywall can be a success.
So, what is next? More video, more stories, better stories, better photos. America 250 is next year. More followers, more shares. Stay tuned. Follow us on Facebook and X. Subscribe to our YouTube page. Stay informed—and thank you for reading.
Delaware Valley News.com is just getting started.