From the Staff

Many people are disillusioned and unhappy with the corporate interests and the political agenda that drives the mainstream media, but they feel like it is out of their control and that there is nothing that they, personally, can do about it. In those moments, it is important to remember that the only way social change has ever come about is through the actions of small groups of dedicated people. The Asheville Global Report is a small group of such people that are doing their best to locally, nationally and globally transform the media into an institution that people can trust–by tirelessly reporting on news that is often underreported or misreported by the mainstream press. Because of these efforts, the Asheville Global Report has won 10 Project Censored Awards. Our news can currently be accessed for free on our website, www.agrnews.org, through copies of our newspaper distributed in Western North Carolina and other cities around the country, as well as on local public radio and public TV in North Carolina. This year we added a Women section to our paper to devote more space to women's struggles and activism worldwide, and will continue to report on stories affecting people who are marginalized and stereotyped by the mainstream media. And the Asheville Global Report is about to expand even more. Soon, our TV show will be shown on the national satellite channel Free Speech TV, reaching millions of households. But even as we are on the brink of bringing our TV show to a more national audience, we cannot stop to celebrate due to the dire financial situation we are in. The Asheville Global Report is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In the past few months, due to a lack of funds, we have had to consider ceasing our print publication more than once. At any given time we have only had enough money to print one more issue, maybe two. In the past, in order to survive, the Asheville Global Report has relied on many of you, which we thank you for. But in order to continue to publish our "news from the front lines," we need our readers' continued support. If it is important for underreported and misreported news to get coverage, we have to continue to see this community service as valuable–and not just say we see it as valuable, but act like it as well. That is what being an activist is about–doing something rather than nothing. If you want to help the Asheville Global Report, there are an assortment of things you can do: donate art to our upcoming second annual art auction or purchase art from it, attend an upcoming benefit, buy a subscription for yourself or a friend, advertise your organization or independent business in our newspaper or on our website, or donate to our organization by mail or online at funds@agrnews.org. You can also donate some of your time. We are always looking for new volunteers who believe that "a free exchange of information is necessary to organize for social change." If you'd like to volunteer, please contact our volunteer coordinator, Heather, at hhoudek@agrnews.org. Together, we can the transform the face of media. With your support, the Asheville Global Report can set an example of local media activism, guide readers through all the misinformation and "spin" of mainstream media, and be an independent news organization that makes all of us proud.