Today is a grateful and happy day in our newsroom. Why? We can finally announce that an all-time high number of individuals and organizations have come forward to become members and Newsroom Partners in 2023.
Today is the day we get to thank them publicly for their support.
We are delighted to announce that our 42 Newsroom Partners and nearly 1,400 individual members have pledged over $345,000 in support of the work of the Source’s newsrooms in Mansfield, Ashland, and Mount Vernon in 2023.
Every penny of their support helps to sustain and grow our reporting team.
“It feels like the Source is always present, and not just for news stories. The representation is a constant in our community now.”
CEO of The District 5 Area Agency on Aging, Duana Patton
When we established the Source in 2013, our primary objective was to create a news outlet that would serve the community. Four and a half years later, when we launched our corporate and individual membership programs, our aim changed.
We decided to build a top-shelf local news operation sustained by the community it served.
“…sustained by the community it served.” That is no small goal.
In a world where information is everywhere, we have to prove that trusted, independent local journalism is worthy of financial support. And we have to prove it every single day.
Our decisions, social media posts, and published stories have to provide useful information and reporting. Our journalism has to reflect an accurate portrayal of the community. Our community involvement has to be deep and authentic. Our readers have to trust us to provide the truth, even if they dislike the headlines.
“You’re telling good stories about our community when there are good stories to tell, and when there is something challenging you’re presenting it in a framework that gives people information and they can make a decision about it on their own.”
Gorman-Rupp CEO Scott King
We are humbled by the generosity of our members and partners and cannot express our gratitude enough. You have taken civic responsibility and engagement to a unique level.
This support is so important because the local news industry continues to be in crisis. Local newsrooms are closing, selling or merging and access to local news is shrinking. However, especially in Ohio, hopeful new projects have emerged in Cleveland and Akron. The local news industry is both failing and transforming at the same time.
Source Media Properties is in the transformative category and it’s moving closer to achieving the north star goal of long-term sustainability. Contribute toward the goal by becoming a member today.
p.s. You can find more details about our funding, our leadership, our staff and a bunch of other important things on our About page.
Editor’s Circle | $50,000
Cleveland Financial Group, Charles P. Hahn, CFP
Foundation | $25,000+
Ashland County Community Foundation (In support of Report for America Corps Member Nathan Hart)
Kokosing Family of Companies (In support of Report for America Corps Member Grant Ritchey)
Platinum | $10,000+
W.O.B. Accountants and Advisors
Gold | $5,000+
District 5 Area Agency on Aging
Silver | $2,500+
Ashland County Community Foundation
Brethren Care Village of Ashland
Kleshinski, Morrison & Morris, CPA
Rand and Mary Smith
Bronze | $1,500+
Kenyon College: Office of Community Partnerships
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
North End Community Improvement Collaborative
Richland Area Chamber and Economic Development
Sustainer | $1,000+
Angela R. Phillips
Anonymous
Drs. Heringhaus General Dentistry
Mike and Carol Chambers
New Directions Employee Assistance Program & Counseling Center
The Ohio State University at Mansfield
Susan Fernyak
Promoter | $500+
Austin H. Johnson
Janet Chandler
Jim & Ann Schmidt
Mansfield Engineered Components
Wagner Family Rentals
A Newsroom Partnership is financial support for the independent local journalism produced by our reporters and editors. It associates an organization’s brand with rigorous, trusted reporting that seeks to make our community a better place to live and work. Newsroom Partnerships provide a way for employers to invite their team into a news ecosystem trusted 34 times more than national media. 100% of Newsroom Partner funding is dedicated to reporting and editing budgets.
Newsroom Partners do not approve, read, edit, or otherwise influence the reporting of our newsroom. They understand that they will not like every headline. They trust, however, that our reporting is independent and fair and that we will always keep the good of our community at the center of our coverage. Newsroom Partners sometimes provide expertise, wisdom, or connections to subject-matter experts that our newsroom may not know about, which we take care to disclose in our reporting.