Help save Triad City Beat! We’re looking to raise $20,000 to keep operating next year.

Hi everyone, it’s Sayaka from Triad City Beat.

For those that don’t know me, I’m the managing editor of an independent newspaper that covers Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point. We’ve been in operation since 2014 and celebrated our 10 year anniversary this past February.

I’m here today to be transparent and honest with you about how things are going here.

As a grassroots, scrappy independent paper, we’re going through big changes. Brian Clarey, our longtime founder and publisher, will be leaving Triad City Beat in January. In addition to that, we’re facing financial difficulties that may keep us from being able to continue operating next year. And so we’re asking for support. 

Throughout the last decade, Triad City Beat has worked with a small but dedicated staff to bring hard hitting investigative news, relevant cultural content and incisive opinion to you every week. During the pandemic and the 2020 protests, we were on the grounds reporting every day and night. And with every election cycle, we’ve put out a comprehensive election guide that covers every race from the president down to local school board.

This is what is at stake.

We know that local news is important. As other local outlets dwindle or disappear altogether, the information divide widens, partisanship grows and misinformation runs rampant. And with another Trump term on the way, robust local news is going to be paramount. And it’s not just about politics.

We have, from Day One, prided ourselves in covering every aspect of our community. We shed light on communities that have historically been marginalized. Our last issue was made up of stories of these exact communities and their acts of resistance. We don’t shy away from the values of anti-racism, equity and equality for all, staunch rights for the LGBTQ+ community and the unhoused. In the past year, we’ve started to call ourselves the People’s Paper because we want to ensure we’re doing what we can to uplift and listen to you. 

To that end, we refocused our election coverage to not just highlight the campaigns of those running for office. We conducted reader surveys to see what kind of political news you wanted to see and held our very first reverse town halls that put voters at the center of the conversation.

This is what is at stake.

Lastly, this 10 year run has always been a passion project for everyone who has worked at Triad City Beat. Unfortunately that means that for too long, the people who have worked here have been underpaid. We love this paper and have sacrificed financial stability to keep this thing going. But we are at a crossroads and need more help.

Starting today, we’re looking to raise $20,000 by the end of January to help us keep going. This paper is important to us and we love what we do. We wouldn’t be here without it. And we hope that you love it too and can help us keep going for the next 10 years. As always, we appreciate you and we couldn’t do it without you.