By Tim Redmond
48hills is taking a short summer vacation break. Since we’re such a small operation, with minimal staff, the only way we (well, I) get any time off with my kids is to put things on hold for two weeks.
We will be back after Aug. 1, with lots of big news – and this fall, a redesign of the site to make it look more like a newspaper, which it is, and less like a blog.
We’ve been at this a little more than six months. I launched the site as a digital daily in December, and the response has been amazing. I am so thrilled with the level of community support we’ve gotten – while I’m working on selling ads and (I hope) getting grants, so far 48hills exists because of you. We are, at this point, entirely funded by donations.
The IRS has approved our 501 c 3 application, so all contributions are tax deductible.
We’ve accomplished a lot in a little time. Since the launch, here are some of the big stories we’ve done:
We did the reporting legwork and broke the story of the sex scandal at St. Francis church (which the Chron’s Matier and Ross picked up with no credit)
We exposed the “handshake deal” that allowed Google buses to avoid parking tickets
We investigated how Airbnb got a pass from the city for so many years
We helped sponsor a major forum on housing issues, leading to this
We investigated the stunning story of a local golf club that still discriminates against women
We broke the story of how much the city is losing in tax deferrals
We broke the news about the “other” Twitter tax break
We did the definitive story on the collapse of a building owned by a friend of the mayor
We offered ways that the tech community can be part of the solution
We exposed how the DA was trying a 14 year old as an adult (on flimsy evidence)
We examined whether San Francisco needs a new jail
We broke the story of the gunshots that killed Alex Nieto
We exposed how the Giants are getting a sweetheart deal on the waterfront
We revealed the inside story of the campaign to build luxury housing at 16th and Mission
We skewered some of the dumbest and most ridiculous ideas of the local tech world
We showed how the city is letting developers off the hook for millions in taxes and fees
We exposed how the city is allowing office space to destroy blue-collar jobs
We were all over the City College story
We explained why the city is in a housing crisis and why building more market-rate housing won’t solve the problem
We exposed the real story behind a chain store moving into the Castro
We showed how the allies of the mayor were trying to oust a good police commissioner
We exposed Uber’s tax-avoidance strategy
And so, so much more.
And all the while, Caitlin Donohue told you the best and most fun things to do every day.
My goal is to turn 48hills into a sustainable digital daily newspaper, and we’re off to a great start. See you in a couple weeks.
