With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here .
Marketing LA to Angelenos
Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick is bringing up one of LAist's favorite topics: Los Angeles. The once City Councilwoman (and probably future City Councilwoman when she runs and probably wins) wanted Los Angeles to be tourist friendly and not just for tourists, but for residents.
"When I first got elected, I asked why we weren't doing more to market Los Angeles," Chick was quoted saying in the Daily News . "I recently went to Chicago and saw what they're doing and asked myself, `Why can't we do that here?' We just take the tourism industry for granted because of Hollywood and the weather. We don't really do anything to market ourselves and take advantage of all we have here."
Chick is worried that Los Angeles is not ready, especially with the could-be onslaught of tourist from China in future years. She wants greeters at the airport (in Chicago, they have a blues band playing at the luggage bays), neighborhood tours and a festival guide telling people what's going on every weekend.
Sponsored message
But the city's Cultural Affairs Department does a printed festival guide book every year, but hardly markets it and still doesn't publish it on the web, save for old-school PDF downloads . And Metro, the city and various other agencies helped fund ExperienceLA , a mecca of a cultural calendar for the region, yet the the very same agencies do little to promote the web resource. Step one should be using what we have, not keeping it secret from the public.
Photo of R2D2 visiting the Walt Disney Concert Hall by jslander via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
