Trustworthy, in-depth journalism is so many things: Essential for democracy, a factor communities can unite around, compelling and inspiring — when done right. But it’s also … expensive.
We knew this in the abstract before we founded The 51st. In the months since, what exactly adds up has become very real — and some of that has surprised even me, the teammate most in the weeds on our budget and literally signing the checks to pay our bills.
Without support from readers like you, we could not do this work. We’ve been asking for that support more frequently recently, because we're participating in a program called NewsMatch for the first time. Through December 31, your donations will go twice as far to fund our journalism.
The part you know: our work takes time to accomplish — from talented journalists who deserve a living wage. I often think about how our reporter Martin got an allegedly negligent landlord on the phone that the D.C. courts could not, or our contributor Sam built trust with the sidewalk astronomer facing deportation. But it’s more than that.
For example, being independent is central to how we do our reporting. It also means we need to pay for things like multiple business insurance policies to protect our workers, the people and places we collaborate with, and your investment — in the months and years to come.
When I renewed those policies this year, our broker tried to get us a better deal for one since we'd had no claims in our first policy year. They couldn’t, despite shopping it around to EIGHTEEN different companies. Our cost of doing business increased “due to your location being in D.C. and the overall rise in … claim frequency and severity in the D.C. region.”
On another front, many of you funded our first full-time hires this summer. That meant we were able to, for the first time, provide the kind of benefits to our team that would be taken for granted at an established organization.
The first company we chose to manage that process backed out at the last minute. Their underwriter determined the work Martin does is “too risky” to cover workers' comp. Why? The company partners with other newsrooms and wouldn’t say whether their decision was due to the current political climate. But the salesperson (who also lost out via their commission) said they imagined the underwriter was envisioning scenes from last year's Kirsten Dunst film Civil War.
As we raced towards the open enrollment deadlines, we think The 51st ended up with the right partner. But this sudden pivot resulted in higher insurance premiums, not to mention more of my time spent on the process. We take every line item seriously because we value the thousands of local residents who invest in our vision for a more informed, empowered, and equitable D.C.
Insurance rates may not be as compelling as The 51st’s usual storytelling. But they’re key to sustainability. That reliability, space for risk-taking, and ability to plan for the future is something D.C. desperately needs right now from our local journalism and is made possible with reader support. Can you help by becoming a member today?
You know that the District is facing an increasingly hostile federal occupation, shrinking local coverage from other prominent news organizations, and the tenuous reality of our political position in this country.
That only makes it more important to say: We're not going anywhere. We're doing our due diligence to be prepared for any outcome, and charging ahead to keep bringing you news you can use, to build connections throughout D.C. communities, and to hold local power to account in our city.
The 51st’s reporting is powered by our readers and free to read for everyone. You’re currently one of our free readers. But there’s strength — and insurance, if you will — in numbers. Will you join as a paid member today? (Remember, your donation is doubled this month, including the full-year value of sustaining monthly memberships.)
P.S. We're still working on our big year-end goal of finding 3,000 new readers. So far, over 500 have subscribed. Spreading the word about The 51st is a free way to support our work. Using your unique referral code puts you in the running for 51st prizes too!
With gratitude, Eric Falquero, Director of Operations and Cofounder, The 51st
Eric is a co-founder of The 51st focused on community listening and collaboration. He has covered local D.C. for more than a decade, including creating the Homeless Crisis Reporting Project.
With your help, we pursue stories that hold leaders to account, demystify opaque city and civic processes, and celebrate the idiosyncrasies that make us proud to call D.C. home. Put simply, our mission is to make it easier — and more fun — to live in the District. Our members help keep local news free and independent for all:
