For the past 156 years, the Concord Monitor has been telling the story of our community. Today, the newspaper itself is part of that story and we’re turning to you for help.
Our business has always been supported by our readers, who buy subscriptions, and local businesses, who pay to place their advertisements alongside our stories. Anyone who has followed the challenges of local newspapers across the country knows that those financial underpinnings have become increasingly strained in recent years. In fact, the Monitor newsroom staff is a fraction of the size it was a decade ago. Yet, we have continually adapted and refocused our resources so in times like these, we can keep telling the stories you have come to expect – a neighborhood rallying to help an 8-year-old celebrate his birthday, elderly residents struggling to find a place to live, volunteers and businesses supporting others through a time of crisis, a health care system reshaping itself to meet the needs ahead.
But these past few weeks have brought new and unprecedented challenges.
We have a couple of things working in our favor, though. Our history and our reach in Concord, surrounding towns and much of the state put us in a position to help our local advertisers rebound once the threat of COVID-19 finally retreats. And we have a base of loyal readers, many of whom have reached out to us in recent weeks with words of encouragement.
It’s those loyal readers and big institutions who we’re counting on today. The Monitor is launching its first donation drive to raise money to help us continue and strengthen our coverage of coronavirus. The fund we’re introducing is made available through a partnership with the nonprofit Local Media Association. You can make a tax-deductible donation at concordmonitor.com.
For years, our subscribers have asked what else they can do to support the Monitor and its staff.
They wanted to help preserve their local paper, just like they supported local farms who were struggling to remain profitable against agricultural giants. Conversations at the Monitor revolved around that idea. We started to call it “Read Local,” grounded in the same principles of preserving community resources. This new fund is an extension of that.
The fund introduced just last week was created for papers like the Monitor. The news business in recent years has been increasingly dominated by just a few corporations, often backed by hedge funds. Oftentimes, they turn large profits, even as they dismantle local newsrooms. The Monitor and its parent company, Newspapers of New England, remains locally based and family-run. Only local, independent, family-run publications are eligible to participate in this donation fund.
There are other ways you can help, too.
Subscribe: Since early March, we’ve made all our coronavirus content free on our website despite the costs associated with producing local journalism. We’ve done this because we feel our most critical mission is to deliver vital information to our communities. The best way to support local news is to become a long-term reader. The more people connect with their community, the stronger we all become.
Gift subscriptions: If you are already a subscriber, thank you. We appreciate your commitment to local journalism. Consider buying a digital subscription for someone in your family. Grandparents can give an online subscription to a grandchild for about $100 for a year. It’s a gift that offers them a chance to make a deeper connection to their community and to better understand the world around them.
Bulk subscriptions: Maybe you are among the companies doing well despite the crisis. We offer bulk digital subscriptions. To inquire about rates and setup, please contact Circulation Director Carol Dubuque at 369-3381 or cdubuque@cmonitor.com.
Support your local businesses: We’ve written plenty about the benefits of shopping local because when you keep your money in our community, it has a far greater impact than that same money spent at a national chain or on Amazon. Buy a gift card to a local shop, pick up dinner at a local restaurant, and think local when it comes time for your next big purchase. Support them, because they need your help too.
Advertise: We are truly appreciative of those advertisers who continue to speak directly to our readers. We know this isn’t an easy time for anyone. Our advertising staff is available now to help any local businesses looking to get their message out during this pandemic. For those businesses forced to sit on the sidelines, eventually this will pass, and when it does, the Monitor will be there to help our community get back to work.
(Steve Leone is ‘Monitor’ editor and Jonathan Van Fleet is managing editor.)
