A city worth fighting for: one month at the Asheville Blade

by David Forbes July 17, 2014

Thank you, Asheville, for your amazing support of the Blade. In just one month, you’ve shown that reader-funded journalism has a future in this city

Above: the skyline of downtown Asheville, photo by Max Cooper.

One month ago today I went live with the Asheville Blade’s Patreon campaign, asking the people of this city — and local journalism supporters everywhere — to back us directly.

By that time it had already been a busy few months. The Blade was born out of a fight for workers’ rights and against ethical violations in local media. It continued out of a belief that hard-hitting local journalism was more needed in this city than ever.

I admit, part of me was scared and uncertain when I pressed the “publish” button. I was also convinced it was the right thing to do.

Today you, our readers and supporters, proved that conviction correct. In a month, we broke straight through not just our first major goal, but our second one as well. Many of you sought me out to offer even further support. You told your friends and helped us. In the meantime, we rolled out news and views on issues like low wages, public space, facades of diversity, local government, why some people leave Asheville and more.

As of this afternoon 81 people, many from here, some from elsewhere, have pledged a total of $601 a month.

So on July 22 I will return to City Hall to cover Asheville City Council. As promised, I’ll also resume the much-requested live-tweet reports at #avlgov, something that offered a lot of locals the opportunity to keep up with goings-on in their government and weigh in directly.

Your contributions keep the Asheville Blade alive. It allows me to pay the bills and to pay writers, photographers and artists. As proud as I am of what the Blade, its contributors and its backers have done, your support is also a sign to go further. We plan to do so much more, because so much more still needs to be done. There is more news to seek, more stories to reveal, more perspectives to tell. We have just begun.

If you’re reading this and are still thinking about contributing, know your support is always welcome, for $3, $10 or more.

There are a lot of different ways to fund journalism, and how to bridge the challenge of serving the public and keeping the lights on is a serious debate. It’s a debate I’ve witnessed for almost a decade, and there are a lot of different answers.

But while there are challenges, there are also some amazing tools at our disposal, ways to reach out to the public and call directly for their support.

I believe that’s the most powerful path available, especially in a city with as much smarts, determination and public spirit as Asheville.

So the Blade doesn’t have any ads, and we don’t have any wealthy backers.

We have something better: you. Our readers support us, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I started the Blade because I believe in Asheville. I believe in its people. I believe in its future: as a city that is brave, just and proud, willing to face its problems and build something better.

This is a city worth fighting for.

Forward,

David Forbes
Editor