Last week, VTDigger announced a handful of “key hires and promotions.” Which sounds like progress, but these kinds of stories never mention that income also means outgo. Some people either left or were let go. It’s a familiar tale at Digger. But before I get to that, a necessary caveat.

VTDigger is a remarkable success story, and an absolutely indispensable outlet for news about Vermont policy and politics. Journalism jobs in Vermont have plummeted by more than 75% in the last quarter-century. With the demise of enterprises like the capital bureaus of the Burlington Free Press and the Times Argus/Rutland Herald, the near-demise of the Associated Press’ Vermont bureau, and the partial withdrawals of Vermont Public and Seven Days, VTDigger is the only outlet providing daily coverage of the Statehouse and state government. If you’re interested in Vermont news, you should be tossing ’em a few shekels as your resources allow.

That said, the organization is not without its flaws, and its financial future is not exactly secure. A July 2024 story in Seven Days reported that Digger’s corporate parent, the Vermont Journalism Trust, had lost a combined $1.7 million in the preceding two years, which led to staffing cuts and pressure to find even more savings. Its finances largely depend on reader support, which is still not a proven strategy in this brave new shrunken industry. A three-year, $900,000 grant from the American Journalism Trust was supposed to give Digger the resources to fully develop its business and fundraising operations. The grant award coincided with the onset of the Covid epidemic, which surely had a substantial effect on VJT’s development plans. But now the money is gone and financial development remains very much a work in progress.

(Digger’s bottom line is taking an ongoing hit following founder Anne Galloway’s departure in 2022. A separation agreement means Galloway is being paid a total of $396,857 over a three-and-a-half year period, at a rate of $9,166/month. Her “duties”: Appear at fundraising events, and be available for consultation as needed.)

Before and after Galloway, Digger seems to have serious internal problems. The evidence: Chronic staff turnover, which has an impact on the quality of the product. New, young reporters are always cycling in, learning the ropes and their beats, and then leaving. Digger’s reporting can be short on depth and context as a result.

One might think that Digger would be a relatively attractive spot for professionals in a rapidly shrinking industry, but that hasn’t been the case. Not even after the reporters formed a union in 2020, bringing stability to the workplace and a decent bump in salary. Galloway’s departure in 2022 was an opportunity for Digger to become a more mature organization; her management style was more suited to a hardscrabble startup than a multi-million-dollar enterprise. But stability remains out of reach, and last week’s “key hires and promotions” piece is just the latest sign.

Maybe this time will be different. The recently-announced hire of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Greta Anand as editor-in-chief certainly looks like a home run. She replaces Paul Heintz, who is a great reporter but not as great a newsroom leader. His departure for unspecified new opportunities is the second time he has achieved a leadership position and then relinquished it. (Hey, here’s another nugget from VJT’s tax filings: Heintz was being paid close to $112,000 a year, which was about $8,500 more than Digger’s CEO Sky Barsch was getting. Seems like a lot, but what do I know.)

One more thing that rankles this newsroom veteran: Digger seems to be a bit top-heavy. Last summer, according to Seven Days, Digger had a staff of 13 reporters and seven editors. Seems like a lot of editors, but what do I know.

Of course, there isn’t a journalism operation in the country that doesn’t have issues, financially and organizationally — except probably the New York Times with its daily games and such. Digger has problems, but it still puts out solid reporting every day. I hate to imagine the blasted wasteland our news ecosystem would be without it. I will continue to criticize Digger when I think it’s warranted, but at the same time I wish it nothing but the best, and will continue to be a supporter.