2020 is off to an amazing start, thanks to the leaders and readers who gave to Current’s most successful NewsMatch campaign ever. Together, we raised more than $60,000 to support our service to public media.
How did we do it? We asked. And asked. And asked. Thank you for your patience with our barrage of email. Thank you to the 183 people who donated since Nov. 1. In particular, I want to thank our 17 major donors who contributed nearly half of the funds raised, and the Wyncote Foundation, which contributed an additional $10,000 match again this year. Check out the people who inspired you to name them to the 2019 Public Media Honor Roll.
The funds we raised together will enable Current to cover some of the major trends affecting public media and provide timely coverage of major conferences of 2020. And the cash infusion couldn’t come at a better time: In the past year, Current has downsized our office space and reduced our reporting staff from three to two.
We are now subletting half of a private suite inside WAMU, which is housed in a building that belongs to our owner, American University. This location puts us closer to campus, making it easier for Current to be engaged with students and faculty in the School of Communication.
And in December we were thrilled to welcome Julian Wyllie as our new reporter covering public television. To help tell your stories from cities and towns across the U.S., our editors have been recruiting more freelance reporters to cover news you need to know about.
But make no mistake: These changes to our workplace were necessary responses to shifting and less predictable operating revenues.
Current is constantly evaluating and tweaking our work so that we can better serve the needs of public media. We do not take your attention or investment for granted. We are exploring new content and revenue strategies to deepen our engagement with you and reach underserved members of our community. In the meantime, we have made several significant digital improvements in recent months:
- A newly designed newsletter (sign up!)
- A beautiful new online Business Directory (the site formerly known as Directory of Services) that connects stations seeking solutions with companies eager to help
- An updated (and easier to navigate) Career Center
With unemployment at a startlingly low 3.5%, publicmediajobs.org is your best place to find ambitious people ready to put their talents to work for you. And Current is still your best way to tell decision-makers about your programs and products that can help them meet their mission and their bottom line. Let’s help one another thrive in this period of dramatic change, when public media’s visionary mission and Current’s flow of essential information are as vital as ever.