From the Editors: August 29, 2018

"Journalism will kill you," Horace Greeley once said, "but it will keep you alive while you're at it." Though the quote is well over a century old, it's still true today. In fact, we used it to open the introduction to our 100th issue in 2014. It's our 200th issue now, and we're very much alive.

Greeley of course, is well known to any journalism student. And any Erie historian worth their salt knows that he spent a stint of time here in town working for the Erie Gazette. Jonathan Burdick certainly knows this, and is quick to bring up Greeley's contributions and thoughts on his time in Erie. Burdick traces the roots of Erie newspapers, from The Mirror in 1811, all the way to what you're reading right now.

We're proud to be doing what we're doing. When Brian Graham and Adam Welsh founded The Erie Reader in 2010, their mission was to produce "an independent alt weekly-style publication that would serve as an additional forum for ideas as well as a publication that would actively drive discussion." We were motivated to build our own voice, and to help move this community forward. Two hundred issues in, we look around and see that things are coming together. Today we're honored to be known as "the only local voice for news, arts, and culture."

Over the years, we've had the pleasure of working with some of the most creative and motivated individuals our area has to offer. It's the love of the content that keeps us energized and always looking ahead. It's a passion for the people of Erie, their music, art, theater, food, and all things creative that helps spark our interest. We choose to highlight the events that lift your spirit, challenge your mind, and help you explore something new. It's all around us, and we're happy to help you look for it.

Everything isn't bright and positive however. Far from it. Some things are difficult to stomach, but impossible and outright dangerous to ignore. The recent Pennsylvania Grand Jury report detailing the widespread abuse within the Catholic Church falls into that category. Dan Schank takes a look at its effects on Erie, and offers his own perspective on this terrible collection of unspeakable acts.

Erie is a complex place that continues to evolve and change over time, although it seems to be a city forever at a crossroads. As we look to the future, we do so with a realistic lens and cautious optimism, and the belief that our next 200 issues will continue to chart our course forward.