Downtown Phoenix is not an oasis.
It exists alongside residents of the city and the Valley, within the political decisions of the state. It is influenced by artists, workers, athletes and students from around the country. These people come here for a different experience, something new.
There are also the longtime residents, who throughout the years have crafted communities and culture downtown. All these voices must work together to engage in deep, thoughtful discussion in order for downtown Phoenix to prosper. That’s where Downtown Devil comes in.
Though downtown Phoenix never truly took a break, our coverage did. Our reporters and editors dispersed throughout the country this summer, working at different journalism organizations and learning ways to improve our work. The last thing we would want is to have spotty coverage if we can’t have all hands on deck, and we’re all back better off because of it.
We’re ready to look at downtown with a wider lens, giving us purpose to cover topics about our sector that go overlooked. There is often a focus on only select aspects of this city; we’ll strive to make sure our audience expands its scope and seek out more voices that are affected by the news, whatever that may be.
It bears mentioning that Downtown Devil is, at times, a bit of a miracle. The site is made entirely of volunteers (not getting paid is a blessing and a curse), people who believe in the power of leadership, reporting and community. This city is our platform for that, and to be able to share our work with people is always rewarding.
Our site will keep striving toward solid reporting and writing, with an emphasis on more multimedia elements like video, graphics, maps and creative storyboarding. We have an added focus on investigative and long-term projects as well, which will allow us to publish work such as our Street Series: Artisan Village project more frequently. The look of the site may change, too (but we’ll keep that under wraps).
Like we keep an eye out on the city, you’re encouraged to keep an eye out for us, too. Our staff is around downtown’s venues and galleries, its bars and restaurants, its streets and neighborhoods. We also live plenty of our lives on the Internet. So do stop by and tell us how we’re doing, what you thought of a particular story, and what you’d like to see more of.
As a wise professor once said, the future is fluid. Like any smart publication should do, we’ll respond accordingly to that future. But know that the codes of respectable journalism are something we value greatly. Those codes will always be the compass to guide our decisions.
Thank you for your continued relationship with Downtown Devil and downtown Phoenix. We’re glad to be back.
Contact the reporter at motarola@asu.edu
