The Hartford Courant Alumni Association and Refugee Camp is two years old today.
A lot has changed since this humble opening.
Many of us have found new directions in life; and The Courant newsroom is far from what it used to be in the summer of 2008.
I don’t want to dwell on the past, but certainly those of us who were there two years ago are now beginning to realize that we were witnesses to an era of journalism that we may never again see in our lifetimes. The powerful, vital, confident (perhaps overly so) industry we were part of has changed — or is changing — into something unfamiliar, more desperate for attention, and, I fear, less important to Americans.
There have been 326,633 page views since the inception, for an average of 447 a day. There is no denying that bad news is good news for readership, however, and this blog is more proof. Interest in the Refugee Camp was highest (4,706 on one day) when the layoffs and company turmoil were at their peak. Now it has lost some of its appeal to outsiders, and is visited most frequently by those who feel some personal connection to the people who worked at the newspaper when it was fat and happy.
Regrettably, so many staffers were cut loose from the newsroom that fewer and fewer people provide the little tidbits and inside poop that makes the Camp a valuable tool for keeping up with things (and keeping things honest) on the third floor.
So here’s a request for those still on the inside: For the sake of those of us who still care about the future of journalism, The Courant, and its remaining journalists, please keep those emails and notices coming. You will always be welcome — and publicly anonymous — at The Refugee Camp.
(Remember: you will be a Refugee someday, too.)
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Thanks and congrats, Paul, from one of the hundreds who check this site just about every day.
Thanks for all your work on this site, Paul. It’s a source of information that remains valuable to many — and a good way to feel connected to folks we still care about.
And good luck with the cooking!
Thanks for all your hard work in keeping the site going. It’s been a support group of sorts for so many of us and helps keep us connected to the people we worked alongside for many years.I’ve been thinking of everyone who left The Courant two years ago this week and wishing them well.
Add my voice to those congratulating you, Paul, for the hard work and devotion you’ve shown in maintaining this site. About a decade ago I toyed briefly with the idea of running a blog that would essentially be a daily critique of The Courant’s coverage and inside politics. I dropped it after realizing how much work it would take and how little I wanted to go back and cover old territory after having moved on. You have largely filled the breach, and I especially appreciate those times when you take on ethical issues that deserve a wider hearing.
Thanks Paul for doing this….down here in Washington, a huge 400 miles away, it’s still a weird feeling to have suddenly lost that daily connection to so many great folks I worked with day in and day out for 26 years. This site helps immeasurably–keep up the good work.