We announced on March 19 that we would be "going dark for an undetermined amount of time." The outpouring of support for us that followed has been overwhelming and we are working hard to get back to the business of journalism. We’re now asking for your support to help us forge a new way forward.

COVID-19 created the perfect storm to decimate what was left of local, independent journalism. Across the country we are seeing the collateral damage in newsrooms large and small. Start with a few months of almost no advertising revenue, followed by what is sure to be a deep recession, and survival seems nearly impossible.

For the last few years our readership has never been higher. But even before the current crisis, it was evident that the old model of providing journalism free to readers by selling advertisements was broken. Isthmus has diversified its revenue streams by producing events and creative products for our advertising partners. But we still need a third leg of support to continue to produce the fearless journalism you have come to expect from Isthmus.

That’s where you come in.

We have created a reader donation program that will exclusively fund our editorial content — every penny will be dedicated to supporting the local journalism you’ve come to expect from Isthmus. You can sign up here. The goal is to emerge, as soon as the virus allows us, as a stronger local news organization. What that looks like depends, in part, on your support.

In the last few weeks, we have been humbled by the many who have credited Isthmus with launching their careers. And others who have said they found their writing voice at Isthmus. In the short term, some of our contributors have offered to work for free during this difficult period. Our editor, Judith Davidoff, will coordinate this effort, pro bono, with assistance from our staff writer Dylan Brogan. We couldn’t be more thankful for their support and we ask that you reward their generosity by helping us get back to paying journalists for their hard work.

Isthmus will still host fun and unique events once social distancing is no longer needed. We will host livestreams on social media with community members and artists as a way to connect the community. We will continue to build partnerships with local businesses to support the paper, too. We have resisted intrusive ads and paywalls on our website because we believe journalism is a public good for everyone that should be presented with the professionalism it deserves. That is one of the things we take great pride in at Isthmus: quality reporting, good writing, and expert editing. But those things don’t come cheap.

It might take weeks, maybe months, but we can do this together by embracing the Isthmus spirit, which has always made us stand out among alt-weeklies nationwide. As a community, we can keep more than 40 years of local and independent journalism alive. Please consider a donation to support Isthmus.

Note: Donations are not tax-deductible. Isthmus is not a 501(c)(3) organization.