We have so many stories to tell. Your support will directly fund the CDT’s long-term pandemic reporting
The Centre Daily Times’ first story about the new coronavirus was published on Jan. 28.
We asked what Centre County health systems were doing to prepare.
Somewhere between that story and the time of Penn State’s spring closure, we realized that we were in a marathon, not a sprint, when it came to reporting on the pandemic. And for the second time in an extraordinary year, we’re asking for your help as we keep running.
We are fundraising to bolster our reporting in an area that remains vitally important to our community. We’ve heard from many of you that you’ve relied on our coverage throughout the pandemic, especially as cases have surged in our county. We don’t intend to let up.
Our new effort follows the first in the spring. Because of your support, we remained fully on the job. Media watcher Poynter keeps an updated list of newsroom layoffs, furloughs and closures caused by the coronavirus. Thankfully, the Centre Daily Times newsroom is not among these. That’s due in no small part to support from our readers and generous donations to our Coronavirus Reporting Fund.
Your support has helped us through a year of nonstop news coverage that has also included the Black Lives Matter movement and the election.
This fall, you can continue to bolster local newsgathering in your hometown. From the impact of Penn State’s fall semester to students returning to classrooms in our local school districts and business recovery, there are so many stories we need to tell.
We know how COVID-19 has affected our community. We’ve reported on layoffs from our county’s largest employers, small businesses struggling to stay afloat and nonprofits facing needs like never before. So we’re filled with gratitude that when we asked for help, our readers responded.
As part of that response, we heard from readers about the value they place on local news. We heard from readers about what stories are important to them, and suggestions about stories that need to be told. I hope we can continue that dialogue through our fall campaign, and beyond.
From now through the end of the year, we are hoping to raise $10,000 to support our fundraising effort, once again through tax-deductible donations made through the Local Media Foundation.
If you’ve made a donation before, we are truly grateful and hope you will again. If you have not yet donated, we hope you will consider doing so now.
It’s quick and easy at givebutter.com/TheCentreDailyTimes. If you prefer to send a check, you can do that too. Please make it out to the Local Media Foundation and in the notes field on the check, write “Centre Daily Times.” If you include your email address, they will send you a tax donation letter.
The check should be mailed to: Local Media Foundation, P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689-5015. If you have any problems or questions, contact me at jmcallister@centredaily.com or 814-231-4617.
This story was originally published November 12, 2020 at 8:00 AM.
