Hello there,

I wanted to check in with you on this, the first day of Watershed Voice‘s fall member drive. Over the next two weeks I’ll highlight some of our best work, and introduce you to the people who make Watershed the publication you’ve come to know, and hopefully appreciate over the last year and a half.

We do this work because we love and care for this community, and believe it deserves the type of quality daily news coverage we strive to provide. As a WSV reader I know you feel the same and value what we do, so today I’m asking you to invest in us further by making a donation in support of local, independent journalism in Southwest Michigan.

Watershed Voice is an independent nonprofit online news magazine based in Three Rivers that aims to serve as a reputable source for local news and culture. We are incorporated as a nonprofit corporation and are governed by a board of directors rather than a sole proprietor or stockholders. That means any profits gained will go back into the business to ensure the publication’s growth and sustainability for years to come.

Local newspapers around the country are folding because the old model no longer works. Newsrooms are shrinking, ad revenue is drying up, and people are going online for the bulk of their news. It’s our intention to address these challenges by forging ahead online and returning to the subscriber-based business model. We’ll sell the occasional ad but never at the expense of editorial independence or the facts.

Join us today with a gift to Watershed Voice, and you’ll be joining the hundreds of members who help us make a difference in our community. Becoming a member only takes a few minutes, and makes what we do possible.

My best,
Alek Haak-Frost
Executive Editor