Most remember Ron Harper as the Chicago Bulls’ reserve guard who was a defensive specialist subbing for Michael Jordan. But before Harper got hurt, in 1990, he was one of the best and most exciting players in the league. Long and lanky with exceptional leaping ability, he was deemed the closest thing in the league to Jordan. After the injury, he was able to have some strong seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. But the energy and spring in his game was gone. By the time he joined the Bulls, he was no longer a scorer. His defense and leadership were important to Chicago’s championship runs. But the injury robbed him of his athleticism.
This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.
For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.
Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.
We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.
If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.
Ron Harper
