With support from UVM’s Center for Community News and the Vermont Community Foundation, the organization will promote long-term sustainability for Vermont news outlets
Burlington, VT — UVM’s Center for Community News hosted its annual Vermont Journalism Conference on Friday in partnership with the Vermont Community Foundation, at which both organizations announced their support for the creation of a Vermont Journalism Coalition.
The nonprofit association is the first to represent all entities producing journalism in the state – regardless of size, medium or business model. With the support of a part-time staff member, it plans to advocate for the rights of journalists, provide business and legal support to members, and raise awareness of the industry’s critical mission. More than 20 Vermont news organizations have signed on so far.
“Journalism has rarely faced as many threats as it does today — legal, financial, technological and otherwise,” said Paul Heintz, a senior adviser to the Center for Community News who is working to establish the coalition. “News organizations in the state must work together to ensure that we continue to serve Vermonters, as we always have.”
At Friday’s conference, UVM’s Center for Community News and the Vermont Community Foundation’s Press Forward Vermont initiative announced an initial round of funding to support the Vermont Journalism Coalition for two years, making membership free to news outlets. (Those interested in joining are encouraged to click here to learn more.)
“Promoting a robust news ecosystem in Vermont is central to our mission at the Center for Community News,” said CCN Executive Director Richard Watts. “We are proud to support the establishment of this coalition, which will build on the news collaboration and innovation we’ve been growing at UVM for several years.”
“Access to local news and information keeps Vermonters informed and engaged,” said Holly Morehouse, Vice President for Community Impact at Vermont Community Foundation. “We are excited about the launch of the Vermont Journalism Coalition and the added strength it brings to the essential work of media organizations in our state.”
Friday’s conference at UVM’s Alumni House featured panels and breakout sessions designed to educate Vermont journalists and brainstorm new solutions. A panel on the legal challenges facing the industry featured retired Vermont Supreme Court Justice John Dooley, ACLU Vermont legal director Lia Ernst, and Gravel & Shea First Amendment attorney Matthew Byrne.
Five policymakers — hailing from all three political parties — were honored as “champions of Vermont journalism” for their work advocating for the industry and its principles. Recipients of the award were Lt. Gov. John Rodgers, Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas, Sen. Andrew Perchlik, Rep. Barbara Rachelson and Rep. Chea Waters Evans.
###
About CCN
The Center for Community News at UVM is a nonpartisan nonprofit that is working to grow and strengthen university-led reporting programs around the country, building a more sustainable future for local news outlets with the next generation at the forefront.
About VCF
The Vermont Community Foundation was established in 1986 as an enduring source of philanthropic support for Vermont communities. A family of more than 1,000 funds, foundations, and supporting organizations, the Foundation makes it easy for the people who care about Vermont to find and fund the causes they love. The Community Foundation and its partners put more than $60 million annually to work in Vermont communities and beyond. The heart of its work is closing the opportunity gap—the divide that leaves too many Vermonters struggling to get ahead, no matter how hard they work. The Community Foundation envisions Vermont at its best—where everyone can build a bright, secure future. Visit vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information. Give where your heart lives.
About the University of Vermont
Since 1791, the University of Vermont has worked to move humankind forward. UVM’s strengths align with the most pressing needs of our time: the health of our societies and the health of our environment. Our size—large enough to offer a breadth of ideas, resources, and opportunities, yet intimate enough to enable close faculty-student mentorship across all levels of study—allows us to pursue these interconnected issues through cross-disciplinary research and collaboration. Providing an unparalleled educational experience for our students, and ensuring their success, are at the core of what we do. As one of the nation’s first land grant universities, UVM advances Vermont and the broader society through the discovery and application of new knowledge. UVM is derived from the Latin Universitas Viridis Montis (in English, University of the Green Mountains).