From the Editor: Why Local Support Matters More Than Ever

Written by Tanya Mayorga

There is a conversation happening in this country right now about free speech—who has it, who controls it, and who gets to decide what we read, see, and believe.

I have been watching that conversation closely. And I keep coming back to the one truth: The speech most worth protecting is the speech closest to home.

The Suntropolitan is not owned by a chain. It is not funded by a corporation. It does not answer to shareholders, investors, or political action committees. There is no corporate parent telling me what to cover, what to avoid, or whose interests to prioritize.

The only interests I answer to are yours—the people who live here, run businesses here, and care about what happens to Dunedin and its neighboring coastal communities.

That independence is not automatic. It is not free. And right now, it is increasingly rare.

I started The Suntropolitan because I believe Dunedin deserves something different. I believe we deserve a publication that:

• Shows up to events and actually takes pictures
• Asks hard questions about development and affordability
• Documents the artists, the musicians, the small business owners who make this town what it is
• And does all of it without a corporate filter

But here is the reality: A truly independent voice belongs to the community, not just the person behind the keyboard. I cannot do this alone.

Independent journalism survives when the people who read it decide it is worth keeping alive. That means local support—not grants from foundations you have never heard of, not ads from national chains, but you.

If you value having a publication that answers to Dunedin and no one else, here is how you help:

• Read. Every view tells me this matters.
• Share. When you share an article to a neighbor, you are helping us grow.
• Support. Patronize the businesses that advertise here and the writers who contribute their voices.
• Sponsor. If you own a business, your sponsorship dollars stay local. They fund coverage of your town and ensure that when you have a story to tell, there is someone here to tell it.

The threats to free speech are real. They are national. They are overwhelming.

But the solution has always been local.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for being here. And thank you for caring about Dunedin as much as I do.

Tanya Mayorga
Editor / Photographer
The Suntropolitan