LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Dear Brooklyn Readers,
Today marks another milestone for your favorite online daily news site covering Central and East Brooklyn: Today we have re-launched with a new name, new logo, new look and new attitude!
Why the change? Because change is natural.
For the past year, I have continued to share on Facebook a particular viewpoint I have held for at least a decade. From all that I had experienced in my forty years on this earth, I was confident my viewpoint was sound. And correct. Well, last week, I shared a very different opinion of the same topic. A handful of my colleagues, of course, pointed it out: "You've been saying one thing for so long. Why have you reversed yourself?" (There were even suggestions that by me changing my mind, I was compromising my credibility). And I answered, "I've been reading a lot on the topic and have had quite a few conversations with a variety of people that showed me a different side. And so, I've changed my mind."
Changing one's mind is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength. It is setting aside your ego and admitting you have room to do better, think better, be better. In fact, evolution and growth are entirely impossible without change. And as someone born under the Gemini zodiac sign, not only do I court change in all aspects of my life, I embrace it whenever possible!
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Already, you've noticed probably the most obvious change to the news site—our name! The Brooklyn Reader is now BK Reader! Same meaning. Shorter handle. And besides, that's what everyone was calling it anyway!
The new logo now sits next to a brand-new icon depicting blocks of a neighborhood that boasts bold, complimentary colors and geographic diversity. Or perhaps what you see in the icon is a QR code. Or a circuit board. It's in fact all of those things representing community, technology and digital communications.
Look out for new neighborhood landing pages, and take advantage of bookmarking those neighborhoods most relevant to you. You will also now begin to notice the voices of more columnists and new writers, representing the uncensored opinions and thought leadership of our local activists, elected officials, industry experts and everyday citizens of Brooklyn. More columnist are steady joining us, as we speak. And you too are invited to write in. Inquire at [email protected].
If you're signed up to our daily newsletter, soon you will see that the format and interface will change. Now you can choose the stories you want to click through by neighborhood, and at the same time, peruse what's breaking around the rest of Brooklyn.
Finally, we're excited to announce the addition of Bloom! Peep the small, floating blue icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the page? That's Bloom. Did you catch the popup bar that appears when you scroll down to the very bottom of any page? That's Bloom. Or perhaps you noticed the addition of an interactive map on the homepage. Take a wild guess what that is. I'll give you a small hint: (It begins with a "B").
So, what is Bloom? Bloom is the first-ever geolocation app designed to increase the power of community journalism by giving readers the ability to find the news they need instantly. Each of these tools— the icon, the popup and the map—provide three ways to search the latest stories published on BK Reader within as little as a few blocks of a chosen location.
Just enter in an area code or address of any location and within seconds you can browse the most recent crime activity, the latest new business opening or an upcoming event happening right down the block! This new technology has chosen BK Reader as its inaugural launchpad, putting you in the driver's seat first! It's a mobile-friendly tool, so you can also use it from your phone!
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." ~ John F. Kennedy
Yes, change is good. Change is necessary. And today we embrace change!
There's still so much work to be done—not only on the site and not only in our local communities, but in the world as a whole. As long as we uphold the virtues of intellectual curiosity, listening, sharing and learning through personal stories and viewpoints As long as leave ourselves open to the possibilities of changing our minds, there will always only be one thing left to do: Evolve.
Sincerely,
C. Zawadi Morris, Publisher, BK Reader
p.s. #blacklivesmatter
