We may be hacks, with day jobs and families, but we also care deeply about our community, and we work hard everyday on RT, for no financial return. Yes, that’s how crazy we are. So we’re glad when others find value in what we do:

…established Rochester political websites like RochesterTurning…

– 11/14/07 — MCC Media Prof Tom Proietti on WXXI radio’s “1370 Connection“

The blogosphere, from professional on down to novice, is moving full steam ahead, wielding great influence over who runs, who wins and what issues are discussed…Increasingly there are more local blogs…like Rochester Turning…taking on community issues. It’s also the essence of the Democrat and Chronicle’s focus on Community Conversation. It makes for a richer dialogue.”

– 8/8/2007 - “Blog Power“, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle post-election editorial

Unclaimed County Funds Stuck in Albany
Rachel Ward

ROCHESTER, NY (2007-12-14) If a company owes you money but can’t find you, they turn the cash over to New York State. New York State’s comptroller office holds it and waits for you to come calling. But Monroe County has failed to make that call, for nearly 40 checks or pieces of property, being held on its behalf by the comptroller. (snip)

Local bloggers at RochesterTurning.com noticed that the cash was sitting uncollected earlier this week. A simple search also turned up prominent individuals in the state who are owed funds, including the governor and state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli himself.

– 12/14/2007, WXXI News

Rochester turning is a ‘Progressive’ (neblous, eh?) political weblog about turning Rochester. Turning it around? Turning it Democratic? Who knows? But it’s an interesting read.

– RocWiki.org

Today I heard from a friend who is writing for a local political blog called Rochester Turning. Admittedly, I’m not a technophile by any means, but this kind of site, a group blog, was something new to me. Because the blog has so many writers, it’s updated constantly - much more often than a single-person blog. The blog is about local politics in the upstate-NY area. Essentially, it seems to me that they are using the weblog technology to create, at very low cost, a burgeoning news site that bypasses the conventional media. Some of their press is here. It’s also interesting to see how intensely the writers have thrown themselves into the work. These are professionals and busy people. But many of the posts say things like, “…I’m here at the convention with X and Y…”, and, “…I took a long lunch to hear the speech by Z…” This is not armchair stuff. These people are putting some significant hours into learning their landscape, as a way of doing something to take back this country. I’m glad to see it. And I’m wondering what more I myself can do. We have left this sort of work to the worst of us for too long.”

– 9/17/2007, ZimBlog

Why I Love Rochester Turning and Why the Media Should Too

I’ve long considered Rochester Turning to be one of the best blogs in the state. When people outside of New York ask me about New York blogs they should read (and they ask this often, mind you) I always mention RT.

(snip)

That the writers of what is likely the most widely read political site in New York were completely unaware of one the state’s best written and most effective blogs is completely astounding. It’s even worse when you consider that RT front pager Jrviper is making the rest of the statewide media look silly by completely owning them on a potentially significant story. This is citizen journalism at its finest and it should shame those in the media who have so far been completely unaware of such a great site and the great work that they do. Jrviper is smacking the hell out of this story. He’s doing the media’s job because they apparently won’t. They should start paying attention because this story ain’t no joke.

(snip)

This isn’t the first time that the fine folks at RT have produced some outstanding original reporting and I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last time they do so. But, to think that the folks at Capitol Confidential were unaware of the site and its work before yesterday is simply beyond me. They should, uh, ya know, get out more.”

– 8/8/2007, The Albany Project (NY’s state-wide progressive website)

Rochester Turning is the best blog upstate as far as I’m concerned; and I say that not to diss the other upstate bloggers, but because it’s true. They are. I go there to find out what I need to know about upstate. (link)

the editors of Capitol Confidential have never heard of Rochester Turning, in my considered opinion one of the best blogs in the state of New York.”

– 8/8/2007, Michael Bouldin (one of the most respected political writers at The Daily Gotham)

Here’s a sample of a mailer that Rochester-area Republicans are sending out in advance of next week’s local elections. It says, “Democrat County Legislators Want to Make It Easier for Illegals to Get Drivers Licenses!

This comes to us courtesy of the Democrat-leaning Rochester Turning blog, which has been critical of Monroe County Republicans. Monroe County, they note, is the home turf of former state Republican Chair Steve Minarik.”

– 11/1/2007, Capitol Confidential, Blog for Albany’s Times-Union Newspaper

While the Monroe County Democratic Party has made a very contentious decision not to run someone against County Executive Brooks in the Fall, that certainly doesn’t mean there aren’t viable alternatives to her. Rochester Turning has a fantastic interview with Andrew Stainton which I encourage you all to go and check out. In everything I’ve heard about him, he’s got a strong understanding of the economic issues that the Brooks administration and the Minarik Machine choose to ignore.”

– 7/30/2008 - The Greater Rochester Weblog

On Monday, at approximately 10.oopm, the Rochester citizen journalism site Rochester Turning broke the news the state is partnering with Patec to help absorb the costs of demolishing Rochester’s Midtown plaza to make way for a new corporate headquarters for Patec. Spitzer made the announcement on Tuesday. Today it was the lead story in the D&C. The announcement is huge for the region, as it means at least 600 jobs moving into downtown, a major employer keeping it’s hq in the area, and an end to the ongoing saga of what to do with Midtown. Its also significant from a CJ perspective. Rochester Turning’s post was a day and a half ahead of the D&C. This may be the furtherest a local CJ has been ahead of the traditional press. The question is now will RT get credited with breaking the story? Nothing was mentioned in the D&C article about the posting.”

– 10/17/2007 - Waking Dream (Matthew Bernius, RIT Professor)

I am trying to get over my irritation that ordinary people with ordinary resources now have to do (NY Governor) Spitzer’s work for him. But fortunately, Rochester Turning is embarking on that task unfazed. See this intriguing post on Joe Bruno and campaign contribution weirdness.”

– 8/5/2007 - NYCO (Syracuse’s premier progressive website)

In New York an interesting conversation is happening between three New York bloggers (Rochester Turning, Fighting 29th, and the Ontario Republican) and the local television station 13WHAM’s blogger about whether bloggers are journalists and traditional media. Read this ongoing conversation about the changing nature of news and media.

- 3/6/2008 - Sunlight Foundation (national site promoting open government)

Rochester Turning has an interview with Jon Powers, a Democratic congressional candidate in the district Tom Reynolds is retiring from.

- 3/21/2008 - The New York Observer (state-wide news site)