Dear readers,
When I started VTDigger 15 years ago, I couldn’t have imagined the role the organization would have played in local journalism and the machinations of the state government. Back then, I dreamed of creating a newsroom dedicated to responding to the needs of Vermonters. I envisioned a tip-driven newsroom focused on in-depth daily and investigative journalism.
Pretty quickly, together with a cadre of stalwart journalists and believers like Jon Margolis, Jim Welch, Elizabeth Hewitt, Morgan True, Mark Johnson, Laura Krantz and Alicia Freese, we made that happen. We did what I called “victims’ services” journalism, which prioritized the ideas, concerns, and tips of readers who had no recourse but our reporters — who were willing to press the powers that be for answers.
Our aggressive approach to putting readers first worked, despite the odds. We were hated and loved for our coverage of the dysfunctional $300 million Vermont Health Connect project, the Jay Peak scandal, the demise of Burlington College, allegations of sexual misconduct by members of the Vermont National Guard and a hundred other stories that turned the tide for regular Vermonters.
We were sued, bad mouthed by governors and feared by lobbyists. It was a time when VTDigger was compared with the National Enquirer — and the New York Times.
Today, VTDigger continues to break the most important news in the state and digs in deep on issues that Vermonters need to know about. If you care about holding power to account and connecting the communities of Vermont, VTDigger is a must-read.
But none of that work is possible without your support. All along the way, readers have sustained VTDigger’s fearless reporting.
It’s been an amazing 15 years. Thank you for making it so.
Steadfastly yours,
Anne Galloway
VTDigger founder and editor-at-large
Please consider a special year-end gift in honor of Anne’s tireless work on behalf of Vermonters and the trusted newsroom that VTDigger has become.
The best way to sustain VTDigger’s journalism is to become a monthly sustaining member. Join today at the $15/monthly level and we’ll thank you with a 15th Anniversary VTDigger shirt.
Read the story on VTDigger here: “We Put Readers First”: Anne Galloway on 15 Years of VTDigger.