Public support of local journalism is important to our region. Here’s how you can help
Greetings from the Belleville News-Democrat virtual newsroom.
Philanthropic support is now a key part of keeping the BND’s local reporting strong and focused on public service journalism.
That’s one of the reasons we are reaching out to you today — to ask for your support through the nonprofit Journalism Funding Partners during our spring fundraising campaign.
BND journalists work hard every day to report the news that is essential to people living in southwestern Illinois.
Since early 2020, we’ve covered the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our region and delivered information to help keep you safe. We will continue to cover that story as Illinois reopens, people continue to be vaccinated, restaurants and other businesses regroup and rebuild and life begins to return to normal.
The BND’s local coverage goes beyond the latest pandemic news. It includes everything from accountability stories about public officials and government to a unique digital voter guide and extensive coverage of the April 6 election and its aftermath. BND journalists write about life in metro-east communities, delightful human interest stories, the latest from our schools and city councils, daily breaking news and business updates., plus much more.
This is the kind of coverage our team delivers every day on your behalf, and these examples are just from the last few months.
By now, everyone knows the financial challenges that local news organizations have faced as we’ve navigated the digital transformation and worked on finding a path to a sustainable, healthy future. We are making progress as the work continues.
Subscriptions and advertising are certainly a part of ensuring that future, and we deeply appreciate all of that support. Philanthropic giving is also an important component. We need all three to support the expensive, but essential, work of local journalists and ensure the future of the BND.
You can make a tax-deductible gift to help the BND continue its mission by following this link or typing bit.ly/BNDsupport in your URL bar. Or if you want to discuss a possible contribution, please contact me at jcouch@bnd.com or 618-239-2551.
Journalism Funding Partners, a nonprofit organization, is partnering with the BND in this campaign. The mission of the organization is to “increase the depth, diversity and sustainability of local journalism by building and stewarding connections between funders and news organizations.”
If you have already contributed to the campaign, thank you for your gift. If you haven’t, we appreciate your consideration.
And as always, we thank you for reading the Belleville News-Democrat and bnd.com.
This story was originally published May 19, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
