With Gotham Gazette shuttered (for now?), another deficit in New York journalism. One example: too little coverage of "Open ESD" report.

It's a sign, perhaps, of the paucity of journalism in New York City that the recent news that Citizens Union would shut down the valuable online publication Gotham Gazette (1999-2023) did not, as far as I can tell, make it beyond Twitter.

Citizens Union announces that it is "temporarily" shutting down @GothamGazette pic.twitter.com/ppbuwYRPcg

— David Freedlander (@freedlander) June 26, 2023

But the frustrated response--"disastrous decision," "sad news, etc."--to David Freedlander's tweet, especially from journalists and those in politics/government, indicates that Gotham Gazette would be missed. 

After all, a nonprofit site devoted to "policy and politics" has an enormous range to cover, much of which may not generate huge advertising but deserves support. Can we blame Citizens Union for, as it stated, not beong "immune to the challenges facing nonprofit media outlets, particularly the costs"?

Not completely, of course, because there's no good model for nonprofit media--yet. That said, Gotham Gazette might have been the prime output of Citizens Union, which otherwise has a relatively low profile while issuing endorsements and advocating for reforms that enhance public participation.

While Citizens Union Foundation said it plans to bring something back--"We expect to resume periodic publication of Gotham Gazette in its reconstituted format sometime later this year-- it would have to hire three staffers, plus a budget for freelance work, to meet Gotham Gazette's previous output. That seems unlikely, and nothing has surfaced since.

What's next

Editor-in-chief Ben Max was diplomatic:

After a great 9+ years at Gotham Gazette, it’s time to move on. At the end of June, I'm finishing a really fulfilling, intense, enjoyable run. Very appreciative of Citizens Union Foundation, the Gotham Gazette team, & our readers. Thank you for all the kind words on today's news.

— Ben Max (@TweetBenMax) June 26, 2023

Not sure what’s next for me yet, but looking forward to exploring opportunities. In the meantime, a little time off, some writing, & continuing the podcast. Not planning on going far — I love this work, & there's really nothing better than New York politics.

— Ben Max (@TweetBenMax) June 26, 2023

Max used to co-lead the Max & Murphy podcast with Jarrett Murphy, then editor-in-chief of City Limits, and then segued to Max Politics, which he continues.

What's missing: an example

There are, thankfully, new publications like New York Focus, which covers state government, and Hell Gate, which covers the city.

But even they, as with nearly all the rest of the press, ignored the "Open ESD" report issued by the watchdog group Reinvent Albany in late July, critiquing Empire State Development (ESD), the gubernatorially-controlled state authority that wields enormous power. (My coverage here and here.)

Can we blame those new publications and legacy ones for neglect? Not much. They have more than enough to pursue, with their limited staff and budgets.

But sunlight is the best disinfectant.

ESD, among many other roles, oversees and shepherds Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park. The tension between being a watchdog and an enabler, I've observed, typically resolves to the latter, and that's fostered by the closed nature of the authority.

That report was the kind of non-flashy policy news that's important to citizenship--for example, the opportunity comment at ESD meetings--and that I suspect Gotham Gazette would have covered, whether in a news report, opinion essay, or both.

The only press coverage I could find was from NY1/Spectrum News, 7/28/23, Report gives rise to talk of economic de­vel­opment trans­parency reform, plus an 8/8/23 editorial, Reform state’s economic development arm, from the Schenectady-based Daily Gazette, "the locally owned voice of the Capital region.

Atlantic Yards, GG, and the lure of p.r.

I'm grateful that Max and Gotham Gazette were open to some coverage from me, such as, in 2018, Running for Attorney General, James Takes Strong Atlantic Yards Record Too Far, and 2019, Cuomo’s Getting His Belmont Arena, But the Numbers Don’t Add Up.

We need more coverage, not less, and more publications, not fewer. (So do I, of course.)

Otherwise, those who'd like to pursue journalism will, not surprisingly, work for government agencies, elected officials, nonprofit/cultural/educational organizations, businesses, and lobbying firms, using those same skills to shape the public understanding. 

Nothing wrong with that work, but public relations presentations deserve a counter-weight, as well as institutional memory regarding politics and policy.