The Front Porch Flyer Evolves: Digital Storytelling, Here We Come!
Over the last eight years, the Front Porch Flyer has delivered over 35,000 issues of Mueller’s evolving story straight to the doorsteps of our neighbors. Approximately 200 articles have been shared by over 40 authors on the Front Porch Flyer staff, aided by another 50 neighbors that have delivered the FPF. We have had four editors, five layout editors, and 19 additional members of our editorial board. We have featured the work of well over 50 photographers. Financially, our all-volunteer effort has returned over $10,000 to the coffers of the Mueller Neighborhood Association (MNA) above and beyond the costs of the producing the Front Porch Flyer.
Photo by Trevor Bruner
Not bad for a shoestring publication that started with a meeting in a now-defunct coffee house (Lava Java) adjacent to a now-defunct sandwich shop (Longhorn PoBoys) next to a now-defunct print shop (Kinko’s). In the summer of 2008, Elizabeth Brummett, Drew Harris, Dusty Harshman, and Garreth Wilcock, all pioneer residents and three members of the MNA’s fledgling steering committee, met to determine whether we had the talent and bandwidth to produce this newsletter. We started with a 4-page leaflet that fall, and it’s grown to a 16-page tome.
The Front Porch Flyer team took a spin on the Hipside Peddler during an editoral meeting in 2015. From left to right, Sandy Parks, Kathy Sokolic, Dusty Harshman, Woody Lauland, Elizabeth Brummett, Helen Walker, Dennis and Carole Mick, and Ani Colt went on the ride. Photo by Andrej Simic.
As the Front Porch Flyer grew, there have been more in-depth articles written and more pages to lay out. As our neighborhood grew with it, there has been more advertising to sell and more households for which to manage delivery.
As a core ethic, the Front Porch Flyer focuses on honest storytelling and community journalism. Understanding the nature of our neighborhood, we know we are recording a history of both a unique place and its people. Some day, an aspiring historian will write a book about Mueller, and we will have abundant source material in our pages…
Pages?
The very idea of “pages” brings three of the original FPF team together to share this announcement with you. Beginning in 2017, the Front Porch Flyer team will transition our story-telling to muellerneighborhood.org/news. This all-digital format will look more like a blog with articles, news, and other media shared as they are created in real time.
To be clear, our storytelling ethic will remain as strong as ever, and in fact, we are now free to expand upon it. We will be 100% focused on telling Mueller’s story. We will continue to write long-form articles. From Mueller’s evolution into an incredible neighborhood to explorations of our region to our civic and neighborly pursuits in creating community, this is the core of what we do.
We will also offer a clear communication channel between the MNA and its members… us. Whether you can make each meeting in person, you will know about MNA events, understand its initiatives, receive timely minutes, and hear directly from the Steering Committee.
The aspect of the online transition about which we are most excited is enriching our content with multimedia. More photo essays, more videos, and more audio will bring our stories to life.
As more of our daily lives are on our laptops and phones, the work of the FPF will be shared in social media through Nextdoor and Facebook, sparking timely conversations in a way that our quarterly newsletter simply could not achieve.
We fully understand that a transition away from paper delivery will offer potential challenges to reach every neighbor, and the FPF staff did not make this decision lightly. In fact, we spent several years weighing options. While we believe the benefits outweigh the challenges, we will make every effort to ensure that neighbors, new and old, are aware that FPF storytelling continues at muellerneighborhood.org/news.
As we concentrate on digital multimedia storytelling, we can use your expertise. If you are a writer, storyteller, or a photographer, we’d like to talk. If you are a new media enthusiast interested in online design, videography, or podcasts, let’s do this together. Please email us at frontporchflyer@gmail.com to get the conversation started.
The Front Porch Flyer has published our final quarterly paper issue of the Mueller Neighborhood Association’s newsletter. Our storytelling continues here at muellerneighborhood.org/news. Please bookmark/subscribe to the news, now including more images, video, and up-to-date stories.
The Front Porch Flyer team is growing into a digital storytelling juggernaut, and we can use your expertise. If you enjoy...
Writing
Storytelling / Podcasting
Photography / Videography
Web Design / Graphic Design
Visual Art
please contact us at frontporchflyer@gmail.com to get the conversation started!
