Celebrating Excellence in Speculative Local Journalism

What we’ve heard from critics and scholars:

Dr. Helena Marstowe, Chair, Institute for Community Journalism Studies, Mountain Lake University:

“The Bricklyn Eagle stands at the forefront of what is called ‘speculative local journalism,’ offering a model of how civic storytelling can be both imaginative and rigorously grounded.”

Matti Calder, Senior Analyst, Center for Rural Media Innovation:

“The Eagle’s creative reporting is reshaping expectations for small-town newspapers in both Inland and Outland communities.”

Eleanor Finch, Editor-at-Large, Journal of Narrative Media & Culture

“The Bricklyn Eagle offers a compelling blend of civic realism and the slightly off-beat — and it’s offered at no cost. Don’t know how they do it while staying ad-free. But so glad they do!”

Professor Malcolm Green, Director, New England School of Public Affairs Reporting (NESPAR):

“The Eagle sets a new benchmark in local journalism. Easy to see why its reporters have copped multiple Brickitzer Awards.”

Dr. Elizabeth Ready, Research Fellow, Canadian Center for Media Semiotics and Local Storytelling:

“A brilliant demonstration of what we term ‘genre fluidity’ — The Eagle is informative, inventive, and irreverent as it swings between Speculative Local Journalism; Satire; Magical Realism; and just plain well-crafted Storytelling.”

Noel Albricko,Director, American Land Planners Association:

“A valuable resource not just for Inlanders, but for Outland readers interested in land planning issues facing Bricklyn, the most important Inland Realm in North America. Lessons can be learned!”

Dr. Amanda Rosemont, Scholar of Community Print Cultures, Mid-Atlantic Humanities Foundation:

“The Eagle offers us an insider’s view of Bricklyn’s unique DNA with precision, wit, and clarity.”

Nathaniel East, Director, Society for Alternative Reality Journalism:

“The Bricklyn Eagle’s more than one hundred articles stand as a landmark achievement in speculative local journalism.”

Nellie Nevelson, Executive Director, AI for All:

“The Eagle shows how small local papers working with very limited budgets can collaborate effectively with generative AI on photos and other illustrations.”

… and from Great Britain and France

Dr. Margaret Penletter, Senior Fellow, Centre for Local Press Traditions, University of Lincolnshire (England):

“A remarkable example of local journalism that remains disciplined, understated, and imaginative. Thank you Bricklyn Eagle.”

Olivia Olivetti, Media Critic, Quarterly Review of Rural Affairs (Wales):

“A splendid contribution to speculative local news reporting — a genre that has now gained new respect. The Eagle gives the Daily Prophet a run for its money.”

Prof. Élodie Charpentier; Chair of Comparative Media Studies, Université de la Nouvelle France:

“The Bricklyn Eagle is a newspaper of elegance and precision, blended with a certain ‘esprit imaginatif‘. C’est juste parfait !”

… and from within Bricklyn

Jeffrey Tiler Thompson, President of the Bricklyn Historic Preservation Society:
“No other publication has captured Bricklyn’s mix of tradition and innovation, while highlighting the importance of preserving its history. …

“The Bricklyn Eagle’s investigative reporting on the plan to raze the historic Hotel Stansbury showed a newspaper willing to take the time and effort to provide a critically important service to the public.”

Selena Soundbrick, Professor of Urban Studies, Bricklyn University:
“The Eagle is required reading for understanding how communities define themselves. Putting aside my academic credentials: it’s simply a fun paper to read!”

Jonathan Goodbrick, President of Common Bricks [Bricklyn’s principal “good government” advocacy organization]:
“We’ve found The Eagle to consistently be thorough, fair, and impressively able to translate complex policy issues into accessible reporting. Keep up the good work.”

Lisa Simpson, Member of the (famous) Simpson Family:
“Ever since my family moved to Bricklyn, I’ve read The Bricklyn Eagle almost every day. It’s smart, it’s jazzy, and it explains this weirdly creative town better than anyone else. My Grampa Abe also reads The Eagle and they’ve even posted some of his kind of funny Letters to the Editor.”
// We also received this reply from Grampa Simpson: “I like the eagle and how it flies. But don’t know why my granddaughter thinks I can also read an eagle. Maybe she can ’cause she’s an Eagle Whisperer. She’s one smart cookie my Lisa.”

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