Probably the only time you could prove Martin Austermuhle wrong
Is there a better feeling?
“I know I’m about to learn something new when I see a Martin post in my feed” was a common sentiment shared with us last week when we launched our crowdfunding campaign to bring Martin Austermuhle on as a full-time reporter.
After DCist shut down in 2024 — when The 51st was just a seed of an idea — Martin joined our planning calls from Switzerland (where he and his family had moved). When he came back to D.C., we knew we wanted him on the team.
Since then, our homepage has been filled with his stories featuring some of the most comprehensive budget reporting, in-depth coverage of the Commanders deal, and breakdowns of federal meddling in D.C.’s affairs.
A few months ago, when we approached Martin with the idea of fundraising to bring him on full-time, he responded very skeptically — not believing it was something readers would find valuable enough to do. We can add humility (and possibly delusion?) to the long list of gifts he brings to the team.
With more than 15 years of experience reporting on this city, Martin brings an unbeatable, near-encyclopedic knowledge of D.C. to every story. As the donations flow in, I can’t help but feel a little smug seeing all the notes cheering him on and sharing how valuable his reporting is.
We’re fundraising to promote Martin from freelancer to full-time staffer, along with securing a second year’s salary for our executive editor, Christina Sturdivant Sani. We want to be the newsroom D.C. deserves, and these two journalists are a big part of that. Can you help us get there?
If you’ve already donated, THANK YOU! If you haven’t, any amount gets us one step closer to reaching our goal. And if you can’t give right now, no worries — sharing the campaign with your networks is also a huge help.
P.S. We’re now a 501(c)3 nonprofit and all gifts are eligible for tax deduction — so that’s cool!
With gratitude,
Maddie Poore
Director of Development, The 51st
