Although I have been faithfully posting on CHOTR almost daily for over a year and a half I am still surprised that anyone reads the blog...except for my mom of course...she reads it every day, "Hi Mommy...Always!"

In addition to my regular readers (please comment more btw) I've had the privilege of having several of my post topics picked up by real honest to goodness reporters – people who actually use semi-colons properly. I get asked to do interviews or guest posts pretty regularly and that is rather cool. I think the more attention (especially positive attention) that can be paid to River East the better; therefore, I do give interviews when I can but I am just one person, with one perspective who says "tomfoolery" entirely too much.

Despite my busybody tendencies even I don’t know everything that is going on in River East, on more than one occasion I have been given a “heads up” by someone in the community, for example my Marion Barry reality-show scoop came from a tip from a River East resident. In short there are a lot of things that are going on in River East and a lot of stories waiting to be told. Reporters are always asking me to give them the “buzz” of good River East stories. What makes a “good” River East story? The hell if I know, but I do know there are a lot of story ideas out there…some positive some not so positive but which still need to be told. Therefore, I decided to create a space on the blog called “The Buzz” where anyone with a River East story idea or news or can have a forum to share their story. I am always looking for reader submissions (you can email those to congressheightsontherise@gmail.com  but I totally recognize that some stories need to be covered on a larger, sometimes national scale therefore this may give you an opportunity to connect with a reporter or a government agency to get some much needed attention on unknown issue.

One thing we need much more of in River East is transparency. And I am sure there are plenty of people out there who know the scoop, the skinny and the low-down of things River East. Well here is your place to share it…we’re listening.

“The Buzz” will be posted every Tuesday on Congress Heights on the Rise with a permanent link in the sidebar. Please post your information or story idea in the “Comments” section and if you feel comfortable please leave some contact information like where someone like either a reporter or perhaps someone with a relevant district agency can get back to you. If you don’t feel comfortable including your tip in the Comments section or your contact info you can send that information directly to me at congressheightsontherise@gmail.com  and I can play “media-matchmaker” for you.

For reporters who get story ideas this way I just ask that you (a) treat the person who gave you the tip respectfully and honestly (b) use the correct neighborhood name whenever possible and avoid using the generic “Southeast” and (c) last but not least please don't go out like Fox 5, source CHOTR in your story or broadcast.

Hopefully this will lead to more diverse and accurate coverage of River East life and will hopefully in some small way better media and government relations east of the River.

P.S. This is an opportunity for River East community issues and tips…not an opportunity for you to spread the word about your home-cooked chitlin business – that is called “advertising” and it’s not free...it's cheap but not free - for advertising rates shoot me an email, besides I really hate chitlins.


To contact The Advoc8te or to submit an article for posting on Congress Heights on the Rise email congressheightsontherise@gmail.com .

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