Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Independent Media/The Commons has received a $100,000 grant to support its local coverage from Press Forward, the nationwide movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news. The Commons joins 205 local newsrooms across the country that are filling critical information gaps and working in service of their communities. More than 900 news outlets applied for funding.
The news organizations selected to receive funding are “reporting and producing the original, locally based stories people need to be involved in their cities and make decisions about their daily lives,” Press Forward said in a news release. The Commons was recognized for its focus on local coverage and providing in-depth reporting and stories not found anywhere else in Windham County, Vermont.
“For years, the readers have asked us to do more and expand coverage and we’ve lacked the resources to do what they wanted us to do. This grant is a transformational moment for our newsroom. It’s the start of what we hope will be more national journalism nonprofits looking at what we do and seeing that it’s a model for other news organizations around America", said Randy Holhut, News Editor.
The Commons, one of the first nonprofit newspapers in the country, has been serving the communities in southeastern Vermont since 2006. As a locally owned, independent newspaper, The Commons is dedicated to bringing its readers local news, arts and entertainment, sports, and providing a space for community commentary.
Press Forward engaged 113 advisors from a range of backgrounds in the application review process. Each application was scored and evaluated using a rubric that favored newsrooms filling news gaps with strong, community-based leadership, a plan for sustainability and a track record of community listening and collaboration. Vermont Independent Media/The Commons is the only Vermont media outlet selected to receive a grant.
The Commons The Commons, one of the first nonprofit newspapers in the country, began publishing monthly in 2006 and expanded to weekly in 2010. The paper is dedicated to covering all things local to Windham County, VT.
The paper is available free of charge online and in-print. Each week, 8,300 copies of the print edition are distributed at 260 locations in 32 towns in Windham County, VT; Franklin County, MA; and Cheshire County, NH. Vermont Independent Media, publisher of The Commons, just celebrated the twentieth anniversary of its founding.
For more, visit commonsnews.org
Press Forward Press Forward is a national movement to strengthen our democracy by revitalizing local news and information. A coalition of funders is investing more than $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms, close longstanding gaps in journalism coverage, advance public policy that expands access to local news, and to scale the infrastructure the sector needs to thrive. For more, visit pressforward.news
Source: 10.24.2024. BRATTLEBORO, Vermont - Vermont Independent Media/The Commons
To support vital journalism, access our archives and get unique features like our award-winning profiles, Book of Lists & Business-to-Business Directory, subscribe HERE!
