Rafu to Hold Meeting at GFB on Oct. 30

Five months ago, the publisher of America’s oldest and only remaining Japanese American daily newspaper announced that $500,000 was needed to cover The Rafu Shimpo’s projected deficit for 2016. The initial campaign idea was to increase the number of online subscribers by 10,000 to make up for this loss of revenue.

The implication that the newspaper might cease publication by the end of the year became a wakeup call for all Nikkei. Ellen Endo, Rafu’s former managing editor, and lead consultant Mark Nakakihara, a businessman experienced in nonprofit leadership, stepped in and analyzed every aspect of the paper to decide what needed to be done to separate fact from fiction.

On Sunday, Oct. 30, at  2 p.m. at the Go For Broke National Education Center, 355 E. First St., Suite 200, Little Tokyo, The Rafu Shimpo’s new management team will convene a community meeting, where we will share positive news about the publication’s future and outline what has been done thus far to cut costs, institute efficiencies and increase revenue. Although it’s a bit early for congratulations, it’s not too soon to thank the Rafu staff and others who have helped reach this juncture.

All interested community members are invited to join us for an informational meeting to:

• Learn about the newspaper’s new business model and mission.

• Participate in an exchange of ideas and discussion regarding the newspaper’s content and operation.

• Help prepare The Rafu for a bold new era.