According to the Encyclopedia of Myths, the Argus was a fascinating creature. Our editorial board has determined the Argus to be a very suitable metaphor for our newspaper:
In Greek mythology, Argus was a giant with 100 eyes. Some accounts say the eyes were all in his head; others say they were all over his body. Known as Panoptes or "all seeing" because some of his eyes always remained open while the others slept, Argus was very powerful. He killed Echidna, a monster who was half woman, half serpent and who crushed her victims with her tail. Argus also killed a bull that was destroying Arcadia, a land of shepherds, and a satyr who stole cattle.
The goddess Hera appointed Argus to watch over Io, a priestess whom Zeus had turned into a cow. Zeus sent his son Hermes to free Io. Hermes told stories and played music for Argus until he succeeded in making all 100 eyes go to sleep at the same time. Hermes wasted no time and slew the giant. Hera took Argus's eyes and placed them on the tail of her sacred bird, the peacock.
For too long, media in Knoxville has closed its eyes and been lulled to sleep by those who wish to lay waste to our very own Arcadia.
It's time for an alternative press to emerge in Knoxville that is free of the constraints of the monopoly that is Scripps, which now owns the News Sentinel, MetroPulse, the Halls Shopper and its sister publications, and also now will be distributing the Oak Ridger.
A print publication cannot compete against such unfair competition for the advertising dollars necessary to keep the doors open. We sadly note the recent demise of the Knoxville Voice. If you are a writer, reporter, photojournalist, or other media professional or amateur, we urge you create an account here and get in touch.
If you are a citizen, we urge you to get involved, and send us story ideas, from the unreported and the underreported, to the "you're just not going to believe this one."
Our goal is to be up and running in the next few months, publishing a new edition online every two weeks--unconstrained by the demands and costs of printing, we hope to offer a very different experience. In addition, we may periodically offer live blog updates to supplement the coverage of our community.
This is not a blog. We are a hybrid publication that is part online newspaper, part online television channel, and we will be working very hard to bring you the best in colorful, local coverage of important news.
The Argus is reborn, and Knoxville media may never be the same.
