Today, December 3, is Giving Tuesday. This annual event has become one of the prime charitable giving occasions in the world. Started in 2012, the idea was to pick a day each year for doing good. And wow, did it take off! In 2023, folks donated $1.2 trillion around the world.

I’m writing today because not only is this time of year critical for donations to your local nonprofit newsroom, but you could also not pick a better day than Giving Tuesday to contribute to any organization, including the Claremont Courier.

Our goal over the holidays is to continue the momentum from our community gathering at The Garner House in October. We’ve since been reaching out in various ways, asking for support in helping us continue to publish fact-based local news for our community, as the Courier has done for the past 117 years.

It’s been well reported that we are at a critical stage for fact-based reporting at the national and local levels. Watchdog reporting continues to shrink nationwide due to a murky financial future for media companies of all sizes, coupled with a continuing lack of public trust, much of it manufactured for political gain. Unfortunately, trusted sources continue to fall away, often due to circumstances well beyond their control. More and more “news deserts” sprout up each day when newsrooms most connected to the communities they serve are shuttered. But there are still numerous sources, like the Courier, that strive to report the news professionally, unbiased and unfettered.

And though it gets more challenging each year, we remain laser-focused on keeping the community in which we live and work informed with our award-winning local news, in print and online.

We are ready for the challenges ahead. But we can’t do it without your help. Please consider a donation to your local nonprofit newsroom this holiday season.

Happy holidays,
Peter Weinberger
CEO/Publisher