Getting to know Blast Zone Media
Brand new BZM has local sports covered like you remember
Jordan Nailon / blastzonenews@gmail.com
Welcome to the Blast Zone. We’ve got fun and games, and in case you haven’t noticed yet, we’re working hard every day to bring you in multi-faceted coverage of your favorite local schools, teams and athletes.
After nearly two decades working in traditional newspaper reporting, with the last 10 years dedicated exclusively to the production of classic print newspapers, this marks a new era in my journey in local journalism. Admittedly, it’s not by choice. I did not write my own ending in my previous stop as sports editor at The Daily News in Longview, but I have too much passion for this work to let a silly thing like being laid off keep me away from the sideline.
While I do wish I owned a personal printing press along with a stable of mustangs and carrier pigeons to disseminate the news quickly, I’m rapidly warming up to the new opportunities that a web-only news publication makes possible. Subscribers will find the Blast Zone Media experience to be a multimedia immersion into the world of local sports. In addition to in-depth and well sourced reporting, this website will feature whimsical tales of victory and defeat, highlight reel photographs, live reel videos of top plays and postgame interviews with players and coaches, and a rollicking podcast whenever time between games allows.
The Blast Zone will also feature free nightly scores, so there’s a little something for everyone. But starting today, our best coverage will be found behind a subscription paywall that will also allow readers to have stories sent directly to their inbox.
Which brings me around to the money. By supporting Blast Zone Media with a subscription you’ll be contributing to local sports coverage directly. We don’t have shareholders on the other side of the country. We live and work and raise our families in the same place as you. Supporting Blast Zone Media means your dollars will stay home and help to continue the tradition of strong local journalism.
The best part of starting my own local sports publication has been putting together an all-star cast of contributors who are excited to once again contribute to the rich fabric of the local sports community. You’ll find bylines by former TDN reporters/editors like Ben Zimmerman and Sam Barbee, along with former staffers at The Chronicle like Matt Baide and Eric Trent. We’ll also have photographs from the likes of former TDN sports editor Josh Hart, and south Cowlitz County’s own Candy Durgeloh of Durgeloh Photography. We’ll also have regular dispatches from longtime TDN editor Andre Stepankowsky, who now publishes his own local news coverage on substack under the name Lower Columbia Currents.
Our goal here is to remind you of the newspaper you grew up reading and loving, all dressed up for the new era, but still anchored by the quality of the work.
Most of all, I’m excited to have the opportunity to work again within the local community that has been so supportive to me. I grew up in a time when young athletes could count on the fact that if they accomplished something noteworthy they would be recognized with their name in print. That’s what we do here. Now it’s my turn to give that back to the community.
Thank you for your support and, as always, thank you for reading.
Best,
Jordan Nailon
Publisher/Editor
Blast Zone Media
blastzonenews@gmail.com
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Chief says congtratulations and lots of press for the Toledo cheesetown rivians