Big Changes Coming to Southpoint Access – With You in Mind

Dear Southpoint Access readers,

I want to take a moment to share some of the exciting changes on the horizon for how we deliver local news to South Durham. Based on recommendations from a recent sustainability audit by LION Publishers (a nonprofit supporting independent local news), I’m starting the process of shifting Southpoint Access toward a platform that puts more focus on email newsletters.

Before you worry: I’m not going anywhere. My commitment to providing timely, accurate, and engaging ultra-local news for our community remains the same. Your neighborhood news guy is sticking around! The goal of this transition is to make Southpoint Access easier to find, easier to support, and more streamlined for you—my neighbors who care about South Durham.

This site’s also sticking around, but will serve as more of a virtual community center.

Why the Shift to Newsletters?

In short, newsletters are one of the most effective ways for a local news outlet like ours to grow and thrive. They’re direct, personal, and deliver news straight to your inbox, making it easier to keep up with South Durham happenings without having to check a blog or social media feed.

A platform centered on email newsletters also creates more opportunities for me to sustain this operation. It makes it simpler to offer subscription tiers or support options, which helps me spend more time digging into stories that matter most to our community.

What’s Next?

For now, you can still find all the same hyper-local news and updates on the Southpoint Access site that you’ve come to know. But I’m also soft-launching the new newsletter platform for Southpoint Access. This will give you a chance to see the new setup, subscribe, and support as we work toward making it the primary way to connect with South Durham news.

Current newsletter subscribers have already been imported to the new platform, so you don’t need to do a thing—your updates will keep coming!

How You Can Help

• Subscribe to the newsletter. By signing up, you’ll get the latest stories and updates delivered straight to your inbox.
• Spread the word. Let your South Durham friends and neighbors know what’s happening so they can join in too.
• Support the work. While subscriptions will remain free for basic updates, your contributions will make it easier for me to keep Southpoint Access running strong.

Why It Matters

Southpoint Access exists because of you—neighbors who care about their schools, traffic patterns, new businesses, youth sports, and everything else that makes South Durham such a great place to live. This new platform is designed to make it even easier to stay connected and informed, while also giving me the tools I need to grow and sustain this effort for the long haul.

I’ll keep you updated every step of the way, and I’m always here to answer your questions or hear your suggestions. Thank you for being part of this journey, and I look forward to continuing to bring South Durham news to your inbox, your devices, and your neighborhood for years to come.

Best,

Wes Platt
Editor and Publisher, Southpoint Access