Southlake deserves fair, accurate, independent news coverage
The Southlake Independent will be the first news magazine committed to holding up a mirror to the city.
Something special is coming to Southlake in 2022. The Southlake Independent, a digital news magazine, will provide a modern, independent news source for Southlake while representing the values, goals, aspirations, and traditions of our community.
What it is
Think of it as the Wall Street Journal of Southlake, for it features an ownership team and editorial board that shares our traditional community values, but, most importantly, will cover our community the way it deserves to be covered: with depth, accuracy, and a focus on telling the great stories of the amazing people in this extraordinary community. Our community is more than terrific schools and great shopping; Southlake is one of the most inviting, supportive, and philanthropic communities in the U.S. Our kids, families, and businesses always rise to the occasion to meet whatever challenge that presents itself. The Southlake Independent will tell the story that the regional and national legacy media can’t, or, more correctly, won’t.
Why us?
Collectively, we have nearly 25 years of service to and knowledge of the community. We’ve served on school boards and the city council, in addition to having been appointed to boards and commissions within Carroll ISD and the city. Southlake isn’t simply where we make our homes; it’s where most of our friends reside, where the bulk of our entertainment dollars are spent, and it’s the place we can least stand to see lambasted by outside interests. We know what this community is really about, and we want to share it with the world, which is why we’ve put up thousands of dollars of our own money to have a custom Content Management System (CMS) created, in addition to hiring designers, writers, and an editor. Additionally, our combined experience in journalism, law, product and marketing strategy, and fund-raising, puts us in the ideal spot to be successful in this venture. We’re proud to have an editorial board, too, that reflects the values of the community. (Ed. Board members: Ronell Smith Fred Stovall Kush Rao Dawn Tongish Amy M Clark.)
Why now?
As we’ve seen in the last year, the regional and national news outlets enjoy taking biased shots at Southlake. Their unfair coverage of our community won’t go away. Beating up on a wealthy, diverse, conservative community is good for clicks when your audience largely comprises folks whose political leanings are left of center. This cannot continue unabated. No community is without its challenges, but the labeling of our community as racist, the online attacks, and the doxxing of community members are more than we can stomach. It’s time we had a publication that shares the plethora of good news ongoing in our community.
For example, we’re home to some of the brightest kids on the planet, many of whom have won numerous awards and continue to reach great heights in college and beyond. Don’t you think they deserve more than passing coverage in the back of a local newspaper or magazine? What about the hundreds of parents who are incredible successes in their careers and their households, and who have an amazing story the community would love to hear? Shouldn’t there be a platform to share those stories?
And what about the thousands of amazing moms in Southlake, who form the backbone of our community through their volunteerism and organizing? Shouldn’t they have a place to be celebrated on a daily basis?
What you can expect
The Southlake Independent will be a fierce defender of Southlake, sharing an accurate view of our city, its people, and its businesses. Exclusive, fair, and accurate news coverage, exclusively focused on Southlake Complete coverage of our amazing kids' exploits in sports, academics, and extracurricular activities Human interest stories of our community's extraordinary ordinary people In-depth profiles of our local businesses Trustworthy leadership who know our community and share your values Thorough analysis of the local issues you care about
What’s next
We’re launching the news magazine in Winter 2022. In the meantime, as our CMS is being created, tested, and perfected, we’re forging relationships with writers, meeting with and signing up advertisers and sponsors, getting everyone up to speed on our project management software, and making the community aware of what’s coming. Obviously, you’re at the forefront of this effort. We’ll be communicating details each week via email (let us know if there is a better email for you, or if you’d prefer another method of communication, including text message.)
How you can get involved
If this sounds like a worthwhile project and you’d like to be involved, we’d appreciate your help in at least one of a few ways:
Follow us on social media: Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram.
Spread the word: Please let your friends know about the project and its benefit to the community. Share the link below, where they can sign up to be on our email list and get weekly updates.
Write for us: If you or someone you know would like to write for the news magazine, we’d love to hear from you. Our coverage of CISD, including board meetings and their action items, in addition to city council and SPIN meetings, which is where new developments are often first discussed, will be significant and unlike anything you’ve seen previously. If these areas or any others sound like topics you’d like to cover, email us at editor@southlakeindependent.com.
Donate: As you might imagine, getting a news magazine up and running from scratch is not an inexpensive undertaking. We’ve used our own money to start the enterprise, and we’re fully prepared to continue footing the entire expense. But if you’d like to donate or become a sponsor, we’d be greatly appreciative.
Advertise: Anyone interested in advertising can reach us at sales@southlakeindependent.com, or by phone at 817-991-2006 or 972-672-8834.
In closing
We hope you see the value in what we’re creating. It will be an asset to the individuals who live and work in Southlake, in addition to our kids, businesses, and organizations. We deserve a news vehicle devoted to representing the values of the community. The Southlake Independent will be a publication we can all be proud of.