The Plymouth community has embraced its fledgling hometown news organization, which published its first stories nine months ago this week. And the appeal of the Independent goes far beyond Plymouth. Since November, nearly 500,000 people from here and elsewhere have read our news stories, the events calendar, obituaries, letters, and many other features. We’ve published more than 550 stories and columns, the majority of which were written by our lean staff of three journalists. There have been 1.5 million views on our site.
About 17,500 people have signed up to receive the PI’s daily email for free in their inbox, fewer than 10 percent have made a gift to support our mission. As a nonprofit organization, the PI relies on donor support. We need everyone’s help — every gift matters, and we ask readers to make a financial contribution according to their means. A monthly donation is especially appreciated because it allows us to better plan our coverage and budget.
The Independent’s arrival filled a concerning news void in Plymouth, at a time when the public needs to know about critical decisions and events that will shape the town’s future. We’ve provided free coverage of town that focuses on issues ranging from government to culture to education to business to the environment, and more. We’re engaging residents with essential information and promoting civic participation.
But we need to do a better job of letting people know the PI is not subsidized by subscription revenue, a corporate media conglomerate, government funding, or sources other than charitable gifts and grants. We are completely donor-funded, and we need your help. Reporting the news, curating columns, and running the website is expensive.
Without your support on an ongoing basis, the PI would not exist. There is much more news happening in Plymouth than we have the capacity to cover, but doing that requires money. Please pitch in to help keep the news coming, and to help us grow. Make a gift online by clicking here or call our fundraising office at 617.800.9705 to transfer shares of stock, or make a gift from your IRA or DAF. You can also mail a check to Plymouth Independent, 15 Richard’s Road, Plymouth, MA, 02360.