Vermont Business Magazine The board of the Vermont Journalism Trust, the parent organization of the online news site VTDigger.org, announced today that founder and editor Anne Galloway will be stepping down from her leadership role, but remain with the organization as it transitions to a new executive director. Galloway founded the news site in 2009 and focused on covering state government. It has since expanded its coverage from its base in Montpelier and now boasts the largest newsroom in Vermont.
In its statement, the VJT Board said: Anne Galloway, whose journalistic talent, entrepreneurial drive and commitment to public service built VTDigger into an award-winning multimedia news and information website that has become a national model for nonprofit news, announced Monday that she is stepping down as executive director to pursue other creative ventures.
VTDigger Editor Anne Galloway. Courtesy photo.
“It has been a privilege to lead this pioneering enterprise with such a dedicated group of editors, reporters and business staff,” Galloway said in a letter to readers announcing her departure as executive director.
The Vermont Journalism Trust, which oversees VTDigger, has appointed senior editor Jim Welch as interim executive director. Welch, a former deputy managing editor of USA Today and a former executive editor of the Burlington Free Press, will manage the newsroom, administration, business and technology staff while the board of trustees undertakes a national search for a new leader of this dynamic digital news site.
Galloway will continue to serve VTDigger as founder and editor-at-large, assisting the board with the transition and refocusing on investigative reporting.
In the 13 years since Galloway launched VTDigger, it has grown from one reporter — Galloway herself — to become the largest newsroom in Vermont, with dozens of employees and more than 550,000 monthly readers. During that time, Galloway not only scaled up the organization while spearheading daily news coverage. She also wrote many investigative pieces that explained complex issues and uncovered corruption, most notably the EB-5 fraud scandal involving developers at Jay Peak. In her new role, Galloway intends to continue following that important story for VTDigger.
Among her many accomplishments, Galloway expanded coverage of the Vermont Statehouse, elections and government affairs, including offering public forums and debates to help Vermonters better understand controversial issues and public policy. When the Covid-19 virus emerged in 2020, she and the newsroom worked tirelessly to keep readers informed — efforts that led to professional as well as congressional commendation.
In short, Galloway’s stewardship shored up the flagging “news ecosystem” in Vermont, where many community newspapers have folded, by offering readers a trustworthy source of news and information. Digger, with its well-earned reputation for fairness, helped fill the void. That won’t change.
The board of The Vermont Journalism Trust is deeply grateful for Galloway’s leadership, innovation and determination to see Digger thrive. We stand with her steadfast belief that civic engagement and participatory democracy depend on robust, rigorous journalism accessible to all. She leaves the hardworking Digger team in a position of strength to continue their vital work to report — as our motto says — news in pursuit of truth.
Sincerely,
The Board of Trustees of The Vermont Journalism Trust