Press release...

COMPASS TO BRING INSIGHT, ANALYSIS TO LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE
Knoxville’s new subscription-only online publication goes live in September

Hello, Knoxville! This is a press release to you from us, veteran journalists and inquisitive guys about town Scott Barker and Jesse Fox Mayshark.

We are thrilled to introduce you to Compass, our new website and newsletter dedicated to covering local government, politics and business. Compass will focus on Knoxville and Knox County, and help to explore the issues and interests that are shaping our community. We want to understand and illuminate the changes affecting the city we love.

You can learn more about it and subscribe at compassknox.com. We will start publishing on Sept. 4.

We bring decades of experience to this effort.

Scott was a local government reporter and editorial page editor at the Knoxville News Sentinel for 18 years. He covered the Black Wednesday scandal of 2007 in depth, and he was part of the paper’s successful effort to hold officials accountable for sunshine law violations.

Jesse also worked at the News Sentinel, was editor of Metro Pulse, and was a staff editor for The New York Times. He worked for the last six and a half years in communications for Mayor Madeline Rogero at the City of Knoxville. (He will be leaving coverage of City government to Scott, who will also lead our coverage of next year’s City elections.)

“During my time with the City,” Jesse says, “I watched up close as our local media eroded rapidly. Knoxville and Knox County are growing and changing, and there is almost nobody left telling the stories of what’s happening. I think people want to know more about what’s going on in our community and why. We want to fill those gaps.”

Compass will be a subscription-only publication. Subscribers will have access to articles on www.compassknox.com and receive a newsletter via email each weekday highlighting coverage updates. Thursday reports will include an in-depth feature story and other updates. You can expect well-reported profiles of major local figures, analysis of complex issues, stories about business and development trends.

“We anticipate our readers will be as interested in and dedicated to our community as we are,” Scott says “Our goal is to provide the information prized by decision-makers in government and business, nonprofit organizations, neighborhood groups, PTAs and others who are shaping the future of Knoxville and Knox County.”