Stevens asks how MOECM will reach all outlets and ensure a seat at the table

I guess some of my questions is I know in conversations with some of the ethnic media groups, they have

expressed their concerns about not being able to get access to some of the advertisement dollars or feeling like they're not part of the conversation.

And maybe you've kind of already addressed some of this.

What are some of the steps you plan to take to ensure that you're doing outreach to all the different outlets and making sure that they have a seat at the table and also like traditional media print and those things.

How are you going to make sure that they're engaged in this process as you are building out your plan?

Thank you for the question, Council Members.

I've spent the first few weeks of my job sitting down with publishers.

I've met a dozen publishers who represent about 60 news outlets in the city.

And I'm looking forward to continuing to do that work, listening to publishers and really making it clear that my office is accessible to them, that they have my phone number, they can call me and we can build a long term relationship.

I think that, you know, as a journalist myself, I feel that people want to be doing the job of journalism.

And a lot of these publications, the journalists are also the publisher who's running, who's trying to get ad dollars.

So I want to make that as frictionless as possible and really make myself accessible, make it easy to meet with me, not make it so that everyone has to come to City Hall.

I can go and meet them where they're at and hear from them about their needs.

And as I get a better understanding of everything that's happening internally, really try and create more transparency so people understand how they can get access to these ad dollars.