Freedom of the press, $2

The meeting Monday at Moments cafe in Swannanoa on replacing the Black Mountain News will present the plans of Fred McCormick, for five years the news reporter for the paper, who took on feature writing when they let that staffer go, and then managing editor when they eliminated that position. The married father of a young child quit after not having a day off for 31 straight days and Gannett’s only response was to offer him a better title; no raise, no time off. The new owners of the Citizen Times and BMN have an even more draconian reputation. He is launching his own publication online. This will be the first of several public meetings from East Asheville to Black Mountain.

Please join us if you think the first amendment means good local news is worth supporting. (I had to list a price and the name of the product to get it posted on the Swannanoa Exchange on Facebook, but I kind of like the name).

The Black Mountain News was a thriving small town paper until Gannett choked it to death. And Swannanoa, both locals and BYOJ folks like me and RL, who don’t feel connected but want to, are a new and interesting market, too.