We're Back!

BackTalk Magazine has relaunched! It took a lot of writing, editing, formatting, and computer yelling, but it's finally here.

I guess this is where I introduce myself. My name is Erin and I came up with the concept for BackTalk a while ago (circa mid-2004). I was a freshman in high school and an internet geek----I was always creating websites, blogs and attempting to design graphics. Around this time I also became a news nerd and began reading the paper and watching the news frequently. I noticed that there weren't many media sources that catered to teens and young adults, especially at the local level (I'm from Cleveland). As a result, it seemed as if there was a disconnect between young people and what was happening in our communities. I also noticed that a lot of youth in Northeast Ohio were complaining of boredom. I was always finding really interesting places to go and things to do in the area, but it felt as if they weren't publicized to my age group. I thought that it would be cool if there was a website where Northeast Ohio youth could find out about local places and events, while discussing our interests and the issues that affect us.

That summer, I was reading the Cleveland Plain Dealer when I came across an article for the Civic Innovation Lab. The Civic Innovation Lab is a program that gives grant money to business ideas that can benefit Greater Cleveland. I thought back to my magazine concept and decided to send in a business proposal and plan. I received a grant from the Lab later that year, and the original website was launched in early '05. The original site stayed up, until the summer of '07. I felt that BackTalk really needed to be revamped. Plus, I was about to start college and needed a break. The break lasted for a couple of years, before I started working on the magazine again. I decided to give BackTalk a state-wide focus, since I go to school in Columbus. So eventually, I got an amazing website (props to Spark/Emit Design) and an awesome group of writers.

And the rest is history.