After four rewarding years leading the VTDigger newsroom, I’m departing Vermont’s preeminent news organization. I’m excited to return to the work I most enjoy — reporting and writing — but I will miss VTDigger more than I can describe.
And I will definitely continue to support this scrappy nonprofit as a monthly contributor. (Yes, this is a fundraising pitch, and I will ask you in boldface type to contribute by clicking this link!)
Let me tell you why I’m planning to do so.
For many readers, I imagine, VTDigger’s journalism just pops up on their phone or in their inbox or on their social media feeds. Perhaps they notice a familiar byline or marvel at a particularly insightful story or captivating photograph. But they probably don’t spend too much time wondering, “How’d they do that?”
I’ve spent the past four years watching them do that. And let me tell you: It’s impressive. If more Vermonters could see what it takes to move a story from pitch to publication — and the dedication and professionalism with which VTDigger journalists approach that work — I imagine they’d rush to become monthly contributors.
Here’s what I’d love Vermonters to see:
- The up-and-coming reporter who moved back to her hometown to ensure that it’s covered well in the statewide news media
- The opinion editor who painstakingly fact-checks reader submissions to ensure we’re not contributing to the spread of misinformation
- The veteran Vermont journalist who knows what’s happening in the criminal justice system before anyone — and who jumps in his car at a moment’s notice to get to the literal scene of the crime
- The data wiz who scrubs spreadsheets to find the story, builds tools to make public information accessible and, most importantly, helps Vermonters find the best creemees
- The former VTDigger intern who has worked his way up the ranks, taking on a troubled state institution, mastering complex state policy and quickly becoming one of the best reporters in Vermont
- The senior editor who is so well-sourced she could be her own one-woman newspaper
- The reporter who started at VTDigger the day of the 2023 floods and immediately carved out an entirely new beat around housing and homelessness
- The photographer who has spent decades covering Vermont and still gets a kick out of finding a fresh angle in the Statehouse
- The senior editor who lives in the Northeast Kingdom and never stops reminding us to get out of Chittenden and Washington counties
- The conscientious writer who has to be forcibly removed from his stories at the end of the day because he’s so intent on fact-checking them one last time
- The night editor who ties up every loose end at VTDigger as our readers are going to sleep and makes sure they’ll have a fresh newsletter in their inbox when they arise
I could go on.
These are the people who make VTDigger what it is. They’re not here for fame and, believe me, they’re not here for fortune. They’re here because they care about Vermont and are committed to informing Vermonters.
So why am I busting out the boldfaced type on my way out the door and asking you to donate (by clicking here!)? Because to make sure these journalists can continue to do this fine work, we need your help.
This is a lean organization. Sure, we spend money on an office, on insurance, on those fancy reporter’s notebooks and on our crack business team, whose members pay the bills, keep the website running and raise money to keep us afloat. But the vast majority of the cash that comes in goes right back out the door in the form of paychecks for journalists.
We’re not sending a cut to corporate owners. We’re not trying to please investors. We’re just trying to produce as much high-quality journalism as we can afford. And we all know that’s necessary in this increasingly turbulent world.
So, please, help keep this organization going and, hopefully, growing. I won’t be here to guide it, but I’ll be cheering it along from the sidelines.
Sincerely,
Paul Heintz
Former editor-in-chief, VTDigger
