A Note From the Editor: Here’s How the Independent Is Responding to the Pandemic—and We Need Your Help

I’ve been an anxious mess the last few days. There’s a good chance you have been as well.

What we’re all going through right now is completely unprecedented. There hasn’t been a pandemic like this since the Spanish flu ravaged the planet a century ago—and that pandemic happened in a time without significant commercial air travel, the Internet and so on.

As we endure the pandemic and all of the disruption that it’s bringing, we here at the Independent will keep doing what we’ve been doing for our seven-plus years of existence—telling the Coachella Valley’s stories. In fact, we’re going to do our best to do even more.

First, we’re launching a new series of pieces called Pandemic Stories. These pieces will tell slice-of-life stories on how the community is being affected by the coronavirus and all of the societal changes taking place as a result. We posted the first one yesterday—a piece by staff writer Kevin Fitzgerald, on what the last-minute cancellation of the BNP Paribas Open meant to Piero’s PizzaVino, one of the few local restaurants that opens a satellite location at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden during the tourney.

Second, later today, we’ll launch a new daily feature at CVIndependent.com—also available via e-mail (it’ll go to all of our e-Edition subscribers to start)—that rounds up reliable, vetted news related to COVID-19 and the accompanying societal changes. There’s too much unreliable information floating around on social media (and even coming out of some elected officials’ mouths)—and we will help sort through it all to get to truthfulness and sanity. In addition to news updates, we’ll also highlight good things happening—specials from local businesses (that REALLY need your support right now), enlightening comments from members of the community, and so on. Please email me at jboegle@cvindependent.com if you have anything you think should be included.

As we strive to do more, however, I need to be frank: This pandemic poses an existential threat to the Independent. (The same can be said for all sorts of other local businesses, as well as virtually every independent news source around the country.) Our advertising base is made up largely of local businesses—the very same businesses getting their asses kicked right now by all of the cancellations and social distancing. So … that’s where we really need your help: If you value the work the Independent is doing, and you can afford it, please send us a few bucks to help us keep the news coming. Learn more at www.cvindependent.com/index.php/en-US/supporters. Please consider becoming a supporter, either with a one-time payment, or if you can, by sending us a few bucks each month. The strength of the support we get from readers who can afford it may very well determine whether the Independent makes it or not.

Thanks for reading. Tough days are ahead, but we’re going to get through this, Coachella Valley, as long as we continue to uplift and support each other.