The 2019 Annual Report is In
“...The Source’s commitment to creating a better news product is unwavering, and it’s deeply tied to creating journalism that truly serves — and builds — their community.”
You know how the news makes you feel awful and depressed sometimes? It’s because the media often fails to tell the whole story.
But you already knew that, didn’t you?
You felt it happening a long time ago; and in 2013 when we founded Richland Source, you told us we needed to do better. You asked us to look beyond problems and report on solutions. Our residents, you told us, need an accurate, independent, news organization that was deeply involved in their community.
You were always realistic.
Over and over you shared with us that you didn’t want sugarcoated news, you just wanted all of it. You wanted to hear about the victories, the people and organizations that were pulling us forward, and -- maybe most importantly -- what you could learn from others who faced similar obstacles.
You knew the stakes.
If a community’s news media only talks about what used to be, that conversation becomes our present day. Once that happens, the civic risk multiplies and failure is catastrophic. The stories we tell ourselves eventually become our reality. Brain drain, urban decay, addiction... these things only improve if people believe there’s a viable future. You asked us to help you map that future.
We heard you.
The team at the Source is built to help
every single community member have a clear understanding of the problems we face, and what we might do to address them. Our job is to look for responses we can apply here and now, and share them with as many people as possible. We must report the news in a way that pulls us together, rather than tear us apart.
That’s a tall order, and when we called, you answered the bell.
Last year support flooded in from over twenty Newsroom Partners to the tune of $72,000. Your support fueled our efforts to report ways forward to a better future.
This report was developed to share with you the results and impact of the work made possible by the incredible generosity of our Newsroom Partners.
It is also an invitation to join us in pursuit of our north star: a locally-owned, independent newsroom made sustainable through individual, corporate, and philanthropic support.
All the best,
Jay Allred
President, Source Media Properties
Responsible stewards.
Through June 2019, the Newsroom Partners Funding had $18,395.57 remaining. The balance of current funding will be carefully allocated to solutions journalism work through the remainder of 2019.
Expenses through June totaled $53,604.43 and break out as shown in the chart.
“I’ve run into Richland Source employees at conferences for the last few years and have been invariably impressed; to a person, they’ve been inquisitive, generous with their time and experience, and forthcoming about their experiences. The pioneers in this news ecosystem have the backs of their communities, and the Richland Source crew gets that to a person.”
“In every single training workshop I’ve given over the past couple years, I’ve mentioned the great work coming from Richland Source – no exaggeration. Hundreds of journalists from dozens of newsrooms, from Honolulu to Nairobi and beyond, have been fascinated to learn how this startup in the middle of Ohio has been able to create solutions stories that, at their best, compare favorably with the best in the world – and in the process, build a tremendous amount of community goodwill in and around Mansfield, Ohio.”
“How many local publications have you heard of that hold a community baby shower? Or get money directly from the community to cover important issues? Richland Source is lucky to have a community that gets the value of local news, and that community is lucky to have a newsroom that’s listening, savvy and advancing the prospects for local news.”
“Richland Source is among the most creative and innovative local news organizations in America. What truly sets the Source apart, though, is its genuine love for the people of Mansfield. Its dedication to being a part of solutions to the area’s biggest problems sets a high standard for local newsrooms across the country. If you care about the future of Mansfield, you’re lucky to have the Source on your side.”
local voices
“I’m grateful to have the Source in our community and I do recognize the unicorn that you are and the positive impact you are having.
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“Just wanted to tell you what a delightful crew you have. I showed up for the new member orientation and enjoyed a visit with Brittany, Tracy, and Angie. Carl Hunnell joined in a little later. I was impressed by their cordiality, energy, freshness, motivation, and positive attitude. Must be a pleasure to work with them.
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“I have loved the mission of Richland Source from the beginning and I am proud to do my part in supporting an organization that does as much as Richland Source does for our community.”
“I’d just like to say that the 2 member meetup events I have attended – today’s Gray Matters event and the Rising from Rust event this summer – were absolutely outstanding. I walked away from both events with a tremendous feeling of pride and awe in what we have in this community: talent, ability, progressive thinking, passion, authenticity, etc. You have an incredible team, who are doing incredible work, and I can’t believe how accessible this all is to me (and the community as a whole). All this, right around the corner!!! THIS is why I love Mansfield. You just can’t get this anywhere else in the world.”
We were doing solutions journalism before we knew it had a name.
Now, with the support of our Newsroom Partners, we are doing more of it than ever.
Thanks to the support of our newsroom partners, our members, and our community, we were able to produce more than 300 pieces of solutions content in the past year and a half. These stories, pictures, videos and more were all part of our Rising from Rust and Gray Matters projects.
Richland Source and Solutions Journalism in the news (May 2018 - July 2019)
Richland Source floored by nearly $70k in local support for Solutions Journalism
Schock promoted to Engagement & Solutions Editor at Richland Source
35 News Outlets with Dedicated Solutions Journalism Sections
With community baby shower, Ohio news outlet puts healthy spin on ‘depressing topic’
How this Ohio newsroom got the community to contribute nearly $70,000 for journalism
Industry Insight: To Sustain Journalism, News Organizations Tweak the For-Profit Model
New scheme to help spark solutions journalism around the world
Membership and Richland Source in the News
news that brings people together
In the last year and a half, the Source has brought our readers together off the web at nearly 30 public and member-driven events. A local news organization has enormous power over how people see themselves and others. We use ours to make sure people see one another -- and us -- as human beings together in community.
defining moments
Mansfield takes center stage in multiple national profiles on the impact of solutions journalism on independent newsrooms, and the effect on the cities they serve.
Newsroom Partners fund work that gets our small newsroom invited to join the Facebook Membership Accelerator, and ultimately results in a growing membership program that helps to fund the newsroom.
Brittany Schock promoted to lead solutions journalism and audience engagement efforts. The only position of its kind in the region, it was inspired by support of Newsroom Partners and the result of community engagement work.
Open Source listening platform puts our readers in the center of coverage decisions. Accelerates efforts to close the gap with our audience and build trust.
All in on collaborations. Across politics, profession, and place - our team is working together with others to magnify the work our readers and partners support.
As for the future of solutions journalism at Richland Source, we can assure you, it’s not going away.
The stakes are high and everyone must be in the game.
Since 2004, there are 47% fewer reporters working in newsrooms across the country, revenues have declined every year, and there are 1,400 fewer newspapers. Right now, the giants of the industry are in a race to grow larger in order to buy time and cut costs while they “transition to digital.”
What you don’t hear much about is a focus on the customer or any meaningful community involvement. And who does that affect? All of us. Communities become less and less engaged, the narrative of our cities becomes slanted, and it’s harder for us to succeed together.
We have a goal and a plan to get there.
THE GOAL
An independent newsroom sustained by paid members, Newsroom Partners, and philanthropic support.
THE PLAN IS UNDERWAY
In under a year, individual membership numbers have nearly tripled to over 500 and climbing. Members enjoy a wide range of benefits, but the vast majority report that they join because they want independent local journalism in their town. We will grow that number to 1,000 by the end of 2020.
At the corporate level, Newsroom Partners overwhelmed us with support for the constructive, solutions journalism that’s driven progress and helped to change the conversation about Mansfield, Ashland, and Mount Vernon. We’re expanding that program and tying it to membership and community support.
Our team has been aggressive in pursuit of grant opportunities to support our journalism. In a little over a year, the team has pursued and won over $100k in direct support for journalism from Facebook, the Lenfest Institute, and the Solutions Journalism Network. This year, major grant requests are under consideration and we’re working on groundbreaking collaborative projects.
join our team. become a newsroom partner.
