A newly formed nonprofit dedicated to supporting and sustaining Vermont journalism has appointed a part-time coordinator who will work on its behalf through the University of Vermont’s Center for Community News in partnership with the Vermont Community Foundation..
Founded in June 2025, the Vermont Journalism Coalition represents more than 40 newspapers, television stations, radio stations and digital news outlets across the state. Its mission is to represent the shared interests of professional news organizations in Vermont and to advocate for the principles of journalism.
Last week, the VJC board appointed veteran Vermont journalist Kristen Fountain to serve as its part-time coordinator. The post is an interim position while the organization seeks federal nonprofit status.
VJC Board Chair Mark Davis, news director at Vermont Public, announced the appointment in an email to coalition members. He thanked Paul Heintz, now a reporter with the Boston Globe, who launched the coalition while working at UVM’s Center for Community News.
“Her initial priorities will include shepherding our application for federal nonprofit status and our legislative agenda in Montpelier,” Davis wrote. That agenda includes expanded online public access to criminal records and directing additional state advertising dollars to local media, as well as continued state funding for the Local Civic Journalism Awards. This work is supported by the nonprofit advocacy group Rebuild Local News.
Fountain has been a journalist in Vermont for more than 20 years, starting as a municipal reporter for the Valley News in 2004. She was a staff writer for the Stowe Reporter and Waterbury Record and, most recently, led politics and policy coverage at VTDigger. She worked for several early-stage nonprofit organizations in the Northeast Kingdom, where she lives with her family.
“This is a unique opportunity for me, bringing together what has always felt like two very different sets of skills and experiences,” Fountain said. “I’m passionate about local journalism and excited to facilitate as much collaboration as possible over the next six months.”
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