Your actions will have consequences. Please be sure you are ...

Your actions will have consequences. Please be sure you are being professional and courteous when reaching out to the leaders below. If you live in Sioux City, Woodbury County, South Sioux City, Sergeant Bluff, North Sioux City, or Union County, this message is for you. For 10 years, I've been covering public safety news in Siouxland. For 8 of those years, local law enforcement recognized me as legitimate media and granted me appropriate access. In May, that access was revoked. I've been assured I did nothing wrong. However, because I'm not "traditional media," officials say they cannot allow me access—claiming this would open the door for copycat pages to demand similar treatment. There are already 2 such pages, and I'm sure more will emerge. I've made repeated calls to address this issue. I've requested meetings multiple times. All have led nowhere, except with the Sioux City Police Chief. While I understand their concerns about setting precedent, my longstanding relationship and proven track record should speak for itself. I've been told that working for local media would address their concerns. I do maintain good relationships with local media outlets—some have been longtime mentors over the years—but this solution seems unfair to independent journalism. I care about our local communities. I care about transparency. I don't chase stories for clout or money. In fact, running Siouxland Scanner has cost me thousands of dollars over the years. (Not exactly a smart business model, I know.) If you believe in independent, local news, please reach out to your: -Local city and county council members -County supervisors -Police chiefs and sheriffs Tell them you want Siouxland Scanner to receive the same media access I've always had. Tell them you demand transparency. Tell them you support local, independent journalism. Your voice matters in keeping our community informed.