We are local. Always have been, always will be.
Back in January 2016, when The Athletic launched in Chicago, the company knew that to succeed it had to connect with the community on an emotional level, providing local coverage that evoked passion and built fellowship. That started with hiring writers and editors who knew the teams and the town, who intimately understood what wins and losses meant, not only to today’s fans but also as it applied to the broad context of the city’s history and collective psyche. (Hello, Cubs fans.) That connection is deep, and we are proud to have earned an essential place in Chicago’s sports culture.
Fast forward to April 2020, and The Athletic is now published in more than 50 cities across North America and the U.K., providing the unique and differentiated storytelling that has tethered us to local areas. But, as you know, the atmosphere around our beloved communities has darkened over the last month with the global pandemic changing the way we live, forcing people to shelter at home for the good of all. In this challenging environment, the local institutions and businesses we cherish – restaurants, bars, stores, gyms, barbershops, et al. – are struggling to survive.
While some team owners and athletes have donated money or services to help those struggling, we’ve also been thinking of ways to pitch in. So, beginning today, The Athletic is launching an ongoing editorial series that focuses on local businesses that are treasured by our communities and threatened by the economic calamity. The hope is to shine a light on those places, encouraging readers to patronize them if possible, creating a support system of goodwill to help them persevere for the long term. These stories, which will be produced in addition to our regular, voluminous coverage of the sports world, will take the form of Q&A’s with business owners, feature stories, guides to take-out food, anything to help the locals. They will be pursued and reported by our writers in the safest way possible, and they will be unlocked, free for all to read so we can spread the word.
Every day in our Slack announcements channel we get a note from The Athletic’s co-founder and CEO, Alex Mather. It is inspirational at its core, meant to bring together our staff and do things that are meaningful both personally and for our communities: make sure to take a walk every day (adhering to social distancing rules, of course), call a loved one to check in, support the restaurants and stores in need, thank our healthcare professionals for their selfless devotion.
The message from Alex resonates unambiguously – be good to yourself, be good to your friends, be good to your neighbors.
We are local. Always have been, always will be.
Please join us in continuing to support your community.
Paul Fichtenbaum
Chief Content Officer
