Dear Reader,
As the Houston Press has documented for you over the last several days, these are hard times for our city. We’ve gone out of our way to detail the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, especially for those in the arts, music and restaurant/bar communities, as well as relaying important public-health news and updates.
Concerts have disappeared, so we’ve brought you suggestions on music to listen to while you can’t get out to hear it live. Theater and the other performing arts are shut down, but we’re keeping you abreast of what these artists are doing to keep going both personally and artistically. Restaurants have switched to takeout – including ones that have never done it before – and we’ve switched gears as well, issuing soon-to-start food-to-go lists, takeout best bets and a weekly takeout restaurant review.
We do this because you, the people of Houston, matter to us – for what you are and what you do. In good times and bad we’ve been here with you for 31 years.
However, like so many of the people we write about, we’re not immune to the dramatic downturn in business caused by the pandemic. This week our staff was told our pay is being drastically cut and layoffs will follow. Operating budgets will be cut as well.
That’s why we’re launching a membership campaign. Our goal: Find 1,000 readers who’ll agree to make an annual or monthly contribution to the Press by April 30. In return, you’ll get a completely ad-free online reading experience, along with the knowledge that you’ve helped keep independent journalism alive.
So if you value what we do and want to see us continue to report on news, music, arts and food in Houston, please consider joining our cause.
Your help means everything to us as we all work together in and for Houston.
Sincerely,
Margaret Downing
Editor-in-Chief
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2020.
