New Site. Fresh Faces. Same Mission.
A special message from our Founder and Publisher: CJN is expanding- and YOU can be a part of it!
We’ve been on a bit of a hiatus— but that’s not to say we haven’t been working. We hope you like the new layout. Expect fresher, more impactful content. We’re bringing aboard some new faces. Some will be embarking on their careers as reporters and journalists. Others you may recognize.
Why? This is going to require some tough love, so take a seat.
If this past election has taught us anything, it’s that voter engagement is at an all time low. Out of 6,494,988 registered voters, only 1.76 million casted their votes. That’s approximately 27% turnout. In 2022, a midterm election year nationally, we had 44%.
This may seem like nerdy stuff here. I can already hear people texting and emailing me to argue about the difference between national and state elections and how a 17% difference is nothing to gripe about and to quit complaining. They also know that I just plain don’t care.
Yes, national elections force everyone to come out, whereas in statewide elections most people simply accept that blue states are gonna blue state: republicans will give it the old college try, populists on both sides will lament the county line system, and no one will pay attention to anything that isn’t CNN, FOX News, or Joe Rogan.
New Jerseyans have become resigned to the fact that more of the same will continue to be the trend. The frustration — indeed, the outright exhaustion — is real.
Make no mistake: faith in our institutions is our common enemy.
On Election Day, I started calling CJN subscribers. First of all, to thank them for the viewership and to provide any feedback. Secondly, and most important, to encourage them to vote. My usual script in this regard went:
“Well, (NAME) today is Election Day. I can’t tell you who to vote for but I can tell you who is running and help you find your polling location.“
Some already voted. Others took me up on my favor and I helped them find their polling location. We even hooked one elderly woman up with a ride to her polling location. She did not vote in the previous election because she didn’t have a ride (another story for another day). Who she voted for didn’t matter. Her right to vote is as important as anyone’s.
Others…well, if the landscape wasn’t what it was, I’d assume they were drunk— but in the age of crazy, it was just another Tuesday.
Some shared fears and anxieties about voting by mail or early voting. Others shared some wild theories. Some straight up said they weren’t voting because the whole system was rigged.
This, unfortunately, was the case more than half the time.
This is what explains low turnout in a year where we elect people who will have more of a direct impact in our daily lives. Whether it’s Joe Biden or Speaker Johnson — they have little-to-no impact on your property tax rate, school funding, or matters of law and order…
The people we send to Trenton do— and more often than not, as I experienced on Election Day, no one know who they are, or if their vote even matters.
So what did I do with this?
This is where the fun part begins.
We experimented with some new content, met with folks across the state, and re-imagined what CJN would be. I have the solemn duty as Founder and Publisher to be the vanguard of new ways to bring the news to people.
At the outset, CJN endeavored to simply be a news site. Local goings-on, interviews here and there, and the occasional investigative reporting. In the age of social media, content is king— and that’s what we were lacking.
I’m sure you love these emails, but simply forwarding stuff is so 2005. We’ll be making more investments in diverse content outlets: video series, podcasts, interviews, and more people bringing diverse perspectives—
and you, dear reader, are welcome to be a part of it.
If you want to be a report, op-ed contributor, or provide content - then join the team. We’ll provide the audience. You provide your best content.
Want to grow your reach or promote your business? We’ll provide sponsored content packages for any budget.
If you simply want to increase your support, consider becoming a paid subscriber for only $5 per month, or an annual subscriber for $50 a year. You’ll have access to exclusive content and opportunities, and discounted merchandise when the CJN Store opens
Don’t worry: the news will always be free.
Everyone is welcome at CJN, regardless of their budget. Making content is a lot of work and your support is crucial. Whether that comes in the form of continued viewership, sharing/syndicating our content, or in the form of donations— your support is appreciated and is what makes CJN so much fun.
Please make sure to follow us on our respective social media platforms. if you’re interested in joining the team, have questions about advertising, or want to send hate mail (totally fine too), please message us at press@centralnjwire.com.
Most people say it— I mean it:
I appreciate you, dear reader. We’re on the verge of something big here and I am overcome with excitement to show you what we have in store.
When I think back to Election Day, the many thank yous and words of support hit me hard. It reminded me that CJN means something to people, and that faith in our institutions, and in each other, can be restored.
I will fight like hell to make good on that promise.
Yours truly,
Mike De Robbio
Founder & Publisher, Central Jersey Newswire