Tag Archives: Vermont Journalism Trust

VTDigger Is a Shell of Itself

3 Replies

VTDigger just wrapped up a successful fundraiser with a strong promise: “Reader support will power statewide election coverage, daily news and investigative reporting across Vermont.”

Yeah, well, none of that is happening. Election coverage has been meager, daily news is thin on the ground, and investigative reporting is a thing of the past.

Let’s make it clear that I WANT VTDIGGER TO FLOURISH. We need a strong, vibrant VTDigger as a foundational piece of our media ecosystem. My family continues to give monthly, and we have no plans to change that. But we definitely feel like we’re not getting our money’s worth, and that VTDigger is falling short of its mission.

I went back over the past 12 weekdays (activity is lower on weekends) using Digger’s “Latest Stories” page, and the results were depressing. A total of 38 original stories were posted, not counting reposts from other outlets. That’s an average of 3 1/4 stories per day including three pieces by Carly Berlin, a reporter shared with Vermont Public.

What’s more, out of 38 stories, I would classify eight as features, not hard news. Fall foliage, the Tunbridge Fair, a once-banned children’s book, a profile of a Vermont filmmaker, stuff like that.

On the other hand, try to find content that meets Digger’s fundraising promise of “statewide election coverage” and “investigative reporting.” I counted four campaign-related stories (when we’re in the midst of the general election season) and nothing that resembles investigative reporting. You know, actual digging.

Continue reading →

VTDigger Makes a Good Hire, I Think

2 Replies

This truly is the Golden Age of cheeseball graphics, isn’t it? Although this one is perilously close to the line between “crafted by a top-shelf management consultant” and “xkcd cartoon.”

Anyway, to the matter at hand: the Vermont Journalism Trust hiring Brendan Kinney as its new CEO. Let’s stipulate off the top that I don’t know Kinney, have never met him, and have spoken to no one about him. This is me standing outside the forest, unencumbered and/or disempowered by inside information.

It seems like a great move in many important ways. But I do have some caveats, and some thoughs on how the announcement was covered.

Judging solely by resumé, Kinney has a lot going for him. He’s been a top executive at Vermont Public for a long time — before and after the merger of Vermont Public TV and Vermont Public Radio. (Not everyone survived that transition.) He was in charge of development, a.k.a. fundraising, for one of the most successful nonprofit organizations in Vermont. He knows the landscape and the audience as well as anyone, he knows what works and what doesn’t in terms of audience engagement in these parts.

And public media is the model for the nascent world of nonprofit journalism. For decades, public media have been raising enough money to build strong, vibrant enterprises. The new wave of nonprofit outlets is playing catchup, and could do far worse than emulate the development successes of public media

So, Kinney’s a home run, right?

Possibly. But I do have questions.

Continue reading →

The Wheel Spins Again at VTDigger

Leave a reply

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.

Continue reading →