When we moved to Sioux Falls, duty called us to sign up for the local paper. We’d never done that before. Other (bigger) ‘burgs we’d lived in had plenty of local coverage competing for our eye-balls and ear-holes. But, at the time, the Argus Leader was more-of-less the only game in town. After a few dozen cut-backs, subscribing to the ever-thinning local rag became silly. So we stopped. Easy call.
Here’s what can’t be stopped: The vocational call to journalism. Some of the Argus’s best-and-brightest can still be read online. Folks like Jodi Schwan, Patrick Lalley, & Megan Rapoza are doing their thing, better than ever.
Now we can add two new names to that list of fearsome freelancers: Jonathan Ellis and Joe Sneve. After both spent decades at the Argus Leader, tirelessly doing the good work of calling the powerful to account, they’ve launched a new project: The Dakota Scout.
To misquote Timothy Leary: these guys Dropped Out and Turned On. We’ll be Tuning In!