What's in a name? D.C. local news done differently

Five months after WAMU executives shuttered DCist.com – a vital digital source of local news – we six alumni are excited to announce something new: a local newsroom laser focused on building meaningful relationships with our readers.

We started small, asking for community input on our name. And we were thrilled to receive nearly 1,000 votes and suggestions in less than 48 hours.

Since then, we've had to keep most of our early work under wraps while legally forming our nonprofit. Now, we're excited to build The 51st with you, a news outlet by and for people who love D.C. 🎉🎉🎉

To learn more about our work thus far and donate to our crowdfunding campaign, visit www.51stnews.com.

We want our work to reflect our audiences. That starts with our name: “The 51st” was the winning entry in our name survey, consistently coming up as the name people were most excited about.

We were excited about it too – the brand encapsulates our united fight for democratic representation in D.C., but also speaks to the ethos of our outlet. As a worker-run newsroom that will rely heavily on audience input to shape our coverage of the city, we’re providing information WITH representation (put that on a license plate). 😎

All D.C. residents deserve reliable, accurate, and accessible information about the place they live, and the people who hold power in it.

But before we can start publishing, we need to raise enough money to keep the lights on. For the past four months, our team of six DCist and WAMU alum have been working in a volunteer capacity to get this outlet off the ground. It’s a labor of love! But love won’t pay our bills, unfortunately.

A successful fundraiser means we can confidently sustain our news operation, pay freelancers and contractors, and deliver the smart, engaging, and fun local journalism that so many of us miss.

The 51st will be a public good, but we need the support of the public to make it happen.

If you have any questions, you can shoot us an email at hello@51st.news. Expect to hear more updates from us over the next month!

Thank you for starting this journey with us,

Co-founders Abigail Higgins, Colleen Grablick , Eric Falquero , Maddie Poore, Natalie Delgadillo, and Teresa Frontado