VTDigger launches Fall Member Drive

A recent study from UVM showed that Vermont has lost 75% of its journalism jobs over the past quarter century.¹ Newspapers have closed, and many that remain are woefully understaffed. We’re seeing what happens as a result: In the vacuum, misinformation spreads rampantly, sowing the seeds of division.

Today VTDigger is launching our Fall Member Drive with the goal of raising $75,000 over the next ten days to sustain our newsroom and rebuild Vermont journalism.

Without a robust news ecosystem, who would tell the story of the young family in Barre whose house flooded three times but were ineligible for a buyout? Or of the wrongfully accused man stuck sitting in prison, despite clear evidence of his innocence? Who would explain the 14% average property tax increase Vermonters are facing this year?

VTDigger is doing this kind of impactful journalism, but we need your help to counter the decline of Vermont’s press corps. You can help reverse the trend and rebuild the local news coverage that our state has lost.

We strive to tell Vermont’s full story for our readers. Already this year, VTDigger’s newsroom has made an impact with:

If you are already a recurring monthly supporter of VTDigger and you’d like to make a special gift during the Fall Member Drive, it will be matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000 by a generous Vermont donor.

Please join us this September by making a donation or becoming a monthly recurring member. VTDigger relies on readers to financially support our public service journalism. Without you, there would be no VTDigger. 

Thank you for your support and readership.

Sincerely,

Sky Barsch
Chief Executive Officer, VTDigger

1. Dan McLean. Labor Data Reveals Staggering Decline in Vermont Newspaper Employment Since 2000. Center for Community News / Community News Service University of Vermont, 28 May 2024, https://vtcommunitynews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Newspaper-and-reporter-trends-Vermont-5.28.2024.pdf. ↩︎