by Los Angeles-focused website LAist, brought back to life in 2018 by Southern California Public Radio, proves that it can take just a few sentences for readers to understand your journalistic stance and feel an instant connection (or, in some cases, rejection). In nine bullet points, the nonprofit member-supported organization explains its beliefs.
“Systemic racism exists. We have an obligation to combat it, even as we’re on our own respective journeys.”
LAist
Here are a few takeaways from the LAist mission statement that landed it on ComingFrom.org:
LAist’s beliefs are clearly stated
In addition to systemic racism, the newsroom declares that “we are facing a climate emergency.” In some newsrooms, these stances would be up for debate. LAist goes one step further, starting off from the point that these problems exist and focusing its energy on reporting and looking for solutions.
They even feel the need to acknowledge that “democracy and civic participation are good things.” Such a statement has become a debatable stance in contemporary America.
The benefits of brevity
The entire “About Us” page of LAist is a bit more than 300 words. You can read it in a couple of minutes. But that is the whole point! Reading a “Coming From” statement shouldn’t feel like a job. It can be a brief but clear “Welcome” note to whoever found your journalistic home on the internet. LAist sets such an example and that is why we picked it for our selection.
Documented transparency
And if you want to know more, the organization provides links to LAist’s public documents and board of trustees, as well as staff. If you want Southern California Public Radio’s 2021 Annual Report, it’s two clicks away. The website’s “About” page actually contains tons of information, but it doesn’t hit you that way. It doesn’t overwhelm the reader – which is exactly how the “Coming From” statement should feel.
Note: We’d like to thank Kristen Muller, Chief Content Officer from LAist for recommending this example for consideration in the Coming From Collection.
