The Mayor’s Office of Ethnic and Community Media (MOECM) mismanaged money meant for local newsrooms, according to a new report from City Comptroller Brad Lander.
MOECM partially funds these outlets through advertising spending, which dropped a staggering 84% under the Adams administration. Additionally, City Hall published their annual media advertising report months after the deadline.
It came as no surprise to us.
It might not surprise you either, as Eric Adams and his administration find themselves increasingly embroiled in scandal after scandal. But while it might not be as flashy as, let’s say, business class flights to Turkey, the ramifications mean a great deal to the state of local news.
As both a woman and minority-owned local news outlet, we joined the mayor’s Office of Ethnic and Community Media shortly after it launched in 2021 (Mayor Bill DeBlasio previously established a similar program that we were a part of in 2020). Local Law 83 of 2021 mandates that the Office spend at least 50% of advertising funds with outlets listed in the ECM directory, defined as those that serve a particular ethnic population (in languages other than English) or those (like us) that target a discrete neighborhood or geographic area. Those funds filled a critical need for us, sustaining us as the pandemic decimated beloved local businesses. And the pandemic was just the tip of the iceberg in a decades-long trend of local newsrooms shuttering—the United States has lost about one-third of its newspapers since 2005.
We feel very grateful to be able to do what we do. Greenpointers is a tiny operation, though our reach is huge. We have one publisher, one full-time reporter and editor, and a handful of freelance writers. That’s it. Despite our limited resources, we punch well above our weight with our reporting. We broke the news about the G train shutdown, leptospirosis in local dog parks, moped robberies, hate crime graffiti, environmental injustices, and were an essential free resource for our neighborhood during the pandemic that kept a sense of connection while socially distancing. Our reporting keeps the community engaged and informed. We’ve earned the trust of about 280k readers and followers, and our content reaches 2 million views monthly across platforms, making us one of the city’s largest neighborhood news outlets. That should merit a certain amount of ad spend from MOECM.
According to a fiscal report from 2023, Greenpointers received a little more than $7,000 in 2023. For context, Meta got $3.5 million, and Google got $2.8 million. Neither of these tech conglomerates fits into the Office’s criteria for a community or ethnic news outlet, and we’re troubled by the Office’s lack of transparency into how they decide who fits the bill, especially considering the role these companies played in devaluing local news on their platforms.
In a conversation with the former Executive Director José Bayona, we received subtle pressure to publish weekly op-eds that MOECM sends to members of its directory. We expressed concern that not only do these not align with our hyperlocal ethos, but we feel that doing so would only make us a propaganda mouthpiece, damaging the credibility we have spent more than 15 years building in the community. Greenpointers‘ bottom line lies with the North Brooklyn area—not any specific politician or institution.
The resulting numbers are clear: Greenpointers, which never run Mayor Adams’ op-eds or provided favorable coverage of him, received a nominal amount in city ads whereas publications that are unabashedly pro-Adams and close confidantes of Adams received millions in city advertising dollars. Even more disturbing, it’s unclear whether or not some of the publications that MOECM allocated funds to even exist or are at least minimally operational.
We hope this report can shed some light on the importance of continued support for independent journalism, especially those deeply rooted in local communities. Newsrooms like ours already face enough obstacles; to deal with this kind of indifference from the governmental agency meant to help us only adds insult to injury.
Sincerely,
Greenpointers Editorial Staff
(Report based on financial statements for 2023 provided by MOECM that was given to the NYC Association of Local and Ethnic Media (NYCLEM))
Almost all of your content is paid advertising of businessness that have no independent reviews. Why should you receive public money?
That’s incorrect. 1) Almost all of our content is UNPAID news stories (ads are clearly labeled as such). 2) That money is designated for local newsrooms, so local newsrooms should be getting that money.
Interesting report. While I usually don’t agree with anything remotely political Greenpointers prints, you are bar none, the most valuable media for info re Greenpoint. Timely, great graphics, well written, nicely photographed.
Re Adams besides selling his soul to the devil to get out of jail. Just about all the press gave him a pass on the following.
Adams talks a great deal but does very little.
So far he has been the king of privilege/discrimination.
Telling whites to move out of Black areas and go back to Iowa.
Makes the first six deputy mayors women.
Lets elite basketball players avoid covid shots but not city workers.
Stating since I am Black, I know how to run Rikers.
In a recent ceremony noted that the hero cops were not white.
Now migrant privilege. Instead of sending them back to Texas, accepts thousands with no plan to put or support them.
Announcing the great majority of his Jewish advisory board are orthodox men.
Telling the white senior woman who dared to confront Adams, that I are now the Black Master of the plantation and she has to show the master respect.
Tells the Manhattan borough president not to run against him, since it is important to have a Black Mayor and a Black POTUS too.
I always wondered how those promotional op-eds from Eric Adams were always in amNY, published by Schneps. Your commentary suggests a reason.
glad you are there in greenpoint.