Frequently Asked Questions

How frequently does The 51st publish?

You’ll find us in your inbox every Thursday around noon! Each newsletter features between 4-7 stories – some of which we also publish on our site throughout the week. Our coverage includes local news happenings and explainers, plus columns like Ask A D.C. Native, the Wilson Building Bulletin, Arts and Eats, and Weekend Events. We also publish a roundup of civic engagement opportunities, news you may have missed, ways to engage with us directly, and other stories you can only find in the District.

How do you prioritize your stories?

Since we’re a small newsroom, we typically don’t publish breaking news. Instead, we dive a little deeper to provide context around recent issues. We also prioritize stories that haven’t been widely covered. 

Our four focus areas for coverage include:

• the cost of living in D.C.
• explainers and guides that make living here easier
• reporting that holds accountable local government, nonprofits, businesses, and other folks in power
• stories that showcase the people, arts, and organizations that make D.C. an awesome place to live

Does your coverage include Maryland and Virginia? 

While we don’t currently have plans to expand our coverage into Maryland or Virginia, we know that borders are fluid, and there will inevitably be times when our reporting extends beyond D.C. For now, as a small team of 6 part-time staffers, we’re focused on covering D.C. as holistically as possible — producing articles that are impactful for residents of every ward, quadrant, and neighborhood. As we grow, our coverage area may evolve based on our resources and the needs we hear from our audience.

Do you have any Black D.C. natives on your team?

Yes. Our core team was birthed after a call to action to the former DCist/WAMU employees who were laid off in February (or who left before that time), asking for anyone interested in creating a worker-led newsroom to volunteer their time. Of the people who could volunteer time to this mission were six journalists — four who identify as white and two who identify as Latina. 

We understand that D.C. is rooted in Black history, and to get the most accurate and nuanced reporting, we need Black D.C. natives on our team. After our successful GiveButter campaign, we hired longtime journalist and District native Christina Sturdivant Sani. She’s a 51st director, editor, and curator of the Ask A D.C. Native column, where she solicits other D.C. natives to contribute. As we grow, we plan to expand our core team and roster of freelance contributors with more Black D.C. natives and other residents who better reflect our city. 

What does it mean to be worker-led?

We're a worker self-directed non-profit, which has a similar structure to a cooperative, however, since there aren't 'profits' we aren't profit sharing. In a newsroom setting, that means journalists and other staffers hold decision-making power over the editorial direction, coverage priorities, organizational policies, and business operations. 

This model is in opposition to traditional newsrooms run by billionaires, wealthy shareholders, or a C-Suite, often with limited experience in local news. Our organization operates with a democratic structure: we share decision-making responsibility to create a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable workplace. 

Our workers have also elected to build community input into both our business and editorial operations to include as many perspectives and skillsets as possible in our decision-making, leadership, and storytelling. 

Are you the same as DCist?

The 51st was born out of the ashes of DCist, and we have immense gratitude for the publication, but we’re building our own thing. The silver lining of DCist’s closure is that we have taken the best from its coverage, left the rest, and incorporated new ways of delivering the news such as relationship-building with our audience. 

For instance, we’ve popped up at events in all 8 wards of the city, talking face-to-face with residents about issues that matter most to them. We’ve also launched a community connector program, with the first project taking a closer look at issues impacting Ward 7 residents. And with each newsletter, we ask questions of our readers and find other ways to engage with them directly. 

What can I do to support you?

Thanks for asking! You can become a member, give a one-time donation, or gift a newsletter subscription. If you're an individual or foundation looking to make a sizable financial impact, please email maddiepoore@51st.news. You can also advertise with us or spread the word on social media (Find us on: Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter - er, X, and LinkedIn, and Facebook). 

Want to support us in other ways? Email hello@51st.news and let us know what you have in mind. 

What are the benefits of being a member? 

Members are currently driving our funding, which pays seven directors and nearly a dozen freelancers. (You can learn more about how we’re funded here.) Additionally, members can comment on stories — another way to engage directly with us and our growing community. Other perks at the Friend and Believer level include invites to member-only events, discounts on merch, and a once-yearly call with the team to get a peek behind the scenes.