by Travis Mateer

I probably shouldn’t write while miffed, but I got a double-whammy yesterday from a reader/commenter AND a mayoral candidate that I’d like to address.

The comments from TC, while a little harsh, seem to come from a place of total frustration with the desolate media landscape in Zoom Town, something I can certainly sympathize with.

For example, in this brief interview with mayoral candidate Shawn Knopp, Martin Kidston had to acknowledge that HALF the candidates for Mayor refused an interview with MC. Ouch.

Now, here’s the one/two from TC about the non-Missoula material he’s assuming has no bearing on our humble little valley:

Hey Trav,
I could be completely talking out of my ass here but I think you are losing (not loosing) focus.
I know you have many interests and a global (ie 30,000 ft view). But know what – no one gives two shits.
You are a citizen journalist. Those of us who care read you and Greg to have a greater inside on local affairs.
If most people that come here for local news read about bitcoin/aliens/etc – guess what – they will stop visiting. No one local struggling with local issues gives two shots about some East Coast blogger.
Sorry to be blunt. I love what you do – when you stay in your lane. We have a huge election coming up locally that will direct our community. That has real impact on real people right here in River City.
So talk/blog meaningless bitcoin bullshit that no blue collar in Missoula cares about or step up and journalistically make a difference in you adopted hometown!0

And this one:

Yahweh Man – you could talk report about so much. There is a Cop running for Council in Ward 5. He has amazing insight. There is a conservative running in Ward 4.
There is a conservative woman (a CONSERVATIVE WOMAN!!!) running in the Rattlesnake. Unheard of 🤯
You could interview Mayor Engen, or Ellen Buchanan, or Erin Pehan, or Donna Gaukler, or Jim Nugent about nepotism. You have a whole cornucopia of local topics to delve into.
A whole array of topics that matter to locals.
I get the feeling that you want to be Joe Rogan 2.0 – awesome! Like Joe, earn you bona fides locally. No one here struggling gives a shit about some privileged East Coaster angst about the make believe.
Just thoughts -do as you Larping will.

I get the frustration. I am experiencing it quite frequently as I try to get people to step up and join me in exposing what’s happening here, but a lot of people DO NOT WANT to make waves, or risk whatever it is they imagine they are risking.

Like having to do deal with a mayoral candidate trolling you at 9pm on FB while you’re trying to put your daughter down to bed.

I’m not sure it’s a great campaign move to be trolling some blogger at 9:06pm about a post he wrote, but what the hell do I know? I’m just some schmuck writing free content waiting for the not-free business cards to arrive so Biden’s STRIKE TEAM knows where to find me with the anal swabs.

Such is the life of a citizen journalist in his adopted hometown of 21 years.

This week’s episode of Zoom Town (which I’ll post later today) is a truncated interview with Monica Perez and Brad Binkley of The Prop Report that I recorded on June 23rd. I had to edit it down substantially, post-interview, because I disclosed some things about the Sean Stevenson case I’m not ready to publicize quite yet.

Thanks for reading, and check out ways to support the work I do here at my about page.