Nov.07

electoral-vote.com

Dem 47

   

GOP 53

This Week in Freudenfreude: Carvd N Stone, Guardian of Good Vibes

If you had to identify the biggest problem with the news media, it might be a lack of local coverage. You know, too much expense for too little financial benefit to the outlet. And if you didn't pick that, you might pick the steady stream of negativity. Anger sells. Fear sells. Scandal sells. Many outlets seemingly decided, long ago, that the upbeat stuff isn't as marketable.

In Milwaukee, however, they have a remarkably successful exception to both trends. It is the website Carvd N Stone, which was founded by local entrepreneur Nyesha Stone, and which has now been going strong for 8 years. She concedes it was very difficult at the beginning, both in terms of money and in terms of getting people to take her seriously, but now says the site is on an even keel and is self-sustaining.

We can confirm that positive news is really, really tough to find out there. Sometimes, coming up with something for this feature takes, well, all of our newsgathering skills. And if Stone had not already set out enough of a challenge for herself, the primary focus of the site is, to use her own words: "positive representation of Black and Brown communities." And if that's STILL not challenging enough, the outlet has trained over 100 apprentice journalists and has handed out over $25,000 in scholarships.

Here's a list of some of the items that Carvd N Stone has run recently:

• Milwaukee's Grammy-Nominated Cellist Malik Johnson Makes History as Betty Brinn Children's Museum's First Artist-in-Residence, Writing Theme Song
  
  
• Atlanta's Growing Black Woman-Owned Online Gift Shop, Lai's Little Shop, Turned Handmade Gifts Into a Story of Self-Discovery
  
  
• $10,000 JOY Engine Grants Now Open for Milwaukee Artists to Spark Joy Through Creative Projects
  
  
• Milwaukee Plus-Size Model Nichole Muex Hosts Inaugural Common Threads for Cancer Awareness Fashion Show in Honor of Late Mother
  
  
• James Etienne Helped Over 80 Amazon Employees Through Mentorship, Leadership, and Kindness
  
  
• Producer Zaytoven and Son Zayskii Share an Intimate Conversation on Music, Legacy, and Collaboration--Moderated by His Daughter

It's not for everyone, obviously. Indeed, we can think of entire political movements that would dismiss the whole thing as DEI, woke, etc. Oh well, those folks still have The Washington Post to fill their needs.

Have a good weekend, all! (Z)