It is hard to exaggerate the significance these days of independent, careful, probing and thoughtful news reporting. The NewStandard has set a very high standard in that regard. It has already won an important place among those who want to understand the world, and to act to change it. And the prospects ahead are exciting. I hope you will join in helping The NewStandard achieve these critically important goals.
In a medium awash with opinion, The NewStandard is doing something all too rare: proving it. Its writers back up their commitment to social and economic justice with rock-solid, on-the-ground reporting. Journalism of this high quality takes real resources. Let's give The NewStandard the support it needs to take this crucial project to the next level.
Aggressive new ventures such as The NewStandard are of vital importance. The journalists reporting and editing the news at TNS -- operating with a fraction of the resources -- put their so-called elite journalistic competitors to shame. It's vital that we support this effort so that they can continue -- and expand -- their crucial work. A contribution to The NewStandard is an investment not only in their project but in the health of our democracy.
For numerous other testimonials from our supporters, see our archived donor endorsements page.
Even after getting a degree from a competitive journalism school, and years freelancing and on-staff at various publications, I can honestly say I've learned some of my most valuable lessons and skills writing for The NewStandard. Their emphasis on copious fact-checking, obtaining primary documents, always speaking with the real subjects of each story (not just "experts" and talking heads), and general commitment to quality reporting have meant an extremely rewarding experience for me.
I think TNS proves you can be completely committed to balance and truth while simultaneously promoting social justice and a better world.
From the amount of feedback I've received for my own stories, not to mention "word on the street," I know the stories are also reaching a large and diverse audience. In these politically charged and polarized times I think it's more important than ever to support quality, independent news outlets like TNS.
As a freelance environmental and science writer, I work for a number of publications aside from The NewStandard. Let me tell you a secret: TNS doesn't pay as much as the other, larger-budget publications I work for. But I write for them anyway, because they are great at what they do and they help me to produce work I'm proud of. Their good questions, broad perspective and careful editing inspires. Above all they are fair to both sources and reporters -- such decency is rare.
Give these people your money! They are eager for stories that many mainstream publications won't touch. I hope you reward their incredibly hard work and brave effort.
After several drafts attempting to capture what The NewStandard means to me, I gave up for a couple days over the recent holiday weekend.
And then something hit me Saturday night. Literally.
As an unidentified blue pickup truck struck me while I walked near my house and dragged me nearly three blocks down Aliceanna Street. My daily TNS news "briefs" went unwritten Sunday night and unpublished Monday, and the next couple of days were spent trying just to get just one or two written.
The realization really came home to me after this traumatic event: we need more resources. A news publication simply cannot exist effectively if it depends so heavily on just a handful of people working for so little.
Moreover, I also realized how much writing for TNS means to me. It is, without a doubt, the most worthy work endeavor I’ve ever been involved in and I would be personally pained to see this publication shut down when it should be expanding.
If for some reason you are not already contributing what you can afford to our efforts, go ahead and look for another news outlet that gives you the variety of marginalized and ignored voices and stories that we do, anywhere. And then look for one that does it through original reporting, in the volume we do and with the budget we operate with. What’s independent media worth to you, anyway?
I come from a community- and public-radio background where, as many of you know, membership is a key building block of the organization. Everyone has heard the bustle of an on-air drive, phones ringing, listeners graciously thanked for their support, announcers singing the praises of the station, and the roaring excitement when the station exceeds their hourly goal. And of course, most of these stations add listener contributions to foundation grants and underwriting support to meet their budgetary needs.
But membership is even more critical at The NewStandard, where we rely completely on readers’ memberships and donations to fund the work of reporters and editors. And these emails are just about the only means we have to convince you that without your help, either through donations, membership or by encouraging a friend or family member to contribute, TNS will cease to exist.
I can honestly tell you that my life would not be the same without TNS, both as a reader and as a journalist. With the improvements made to TNS through the expanded "brief" section and the evolving "In Other News," the site is poised to become even more comprehensive in the coverage we’ve come to rely on.
As a contributor to TNS, I cannot express enough gratitude to my editors for their roles in helping me grow and evolve as a reporter and a writer. Attentive and thorough in their guidance as I pursue a story, meticulous and precise during the fact-checking and editing process, the stories you read on TNS are the result of this rigorous and rewarding collaboration.
I look forward to many more years of these collaborations, providing a growing readership with crucial information about issues and events that affect people’s lives. Stories that inform and empower, stories that inspire and motivate.
But we cannot do that alone, we cannot do that without you.