Dear Reader,
Affording a life in Vermont is becoming harder for more people and the consequences are real. From housing and child care to health care and food, many Vermonters are navigating rising costs with fewer options and more stress.
Too often, public conversations rely on averages that mask the realities many Vermonters face. At VTDigger, we believe journalism has a responsibility to go deeper and reflect lived experiences, expose systemic gaps and ask tough questions about what’s working and what’s not.
That’s why we’re launching a new reporting beat focused on wealth, poverty and economic inequality in Vermont.
Report for America is helping fund this new beat. But to fully sustain it, we need our readers to chip in for the remainder. Our goal is to raise $50,000 this year.
Thanks to a generous local donor, all gifts made by Saturday, June 14 at 11:59 p.m. will be matched dollar for dollar. Will you double your impact and help us launch this new beat?
A familiar name. A critical new role.
We’re proud to share that Theo Wells-Spackman will join VTDigger in July as our newest Report for America corps member.
Theo, who grew up in Weybridge and interned in our newsroom last summer, recently graduated from Princeton University. As part of the national Report for America service program — which places talented journalists in local newsrooms across the country to report on undercovered topics — Theo will investigate the economic policies and systems that shape life for Vermonters across income levels, regions and backgrounds.
During his previous stint at VTDigger, Theo covered a range of topics including flood recovery and the Vermont state college system with empathy, insight and rigor. We’re thrilled to welcome him back and excited to see what he uncovers next.
But we can’t do this without you.
Every donation through Saturday will be matched and bring us closer to launching a beat that delivers real answers. Any gift up to $500 will be doubled and help us launch this beat with care, accuracy and a community mandate.
Theo’s reporting will focus on the root causes of Vermont’s affordability crisis, follow the flow of public funding and elevate the experiences of those most affected by economic hardship. He’ll look closely at proposed solutions and report back on what’s actually making a difference.
If you believe Vermont needs deeper, clearer, more consistent reporting on the rising cost of living, now is the time to act. Help us build a beat that delivers answers.
Your donation today will go twice as far to support hard-hitting, solutions-focused journalism.
Sincerely,
Neal Goswami
Manaing Editor, VTDigger
