As journalists, we’re all too familiar with online chatter lamenting over the cost of news. A Facebook user said of Watershed Voice in 2020, “Facebook is free, therefore I cannot recommend a group that would charge $80 a year to get news that others are already sharing with one another for free.”
What this person failed to realize is not all information is created equal, nor is the source of that information. Anyone can post something on Facebook, anyone can use the internet to disseminate information regardless of its validity, often doing so anonymously or under a name other than their own.
Having access to a source of information you can trust, that you know is credible, and most of all, has the qualifications necessary to gather and process information to help you best understand what that information means is a service, and an important one at that.
I’m the executive editor and publisher of Watershed Voice, a title I’ve held since the inception of Watershed Voice in April 2020. I attended Central Michigan University and the best journalism school in the state of Michigan, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. I’ve worked in the field of journalism for the better part of the last 15 years, I’ve been published in half a dozen publications, and every article I’ve written has beared my real name. My credibility has been hard-earned, and my reputation speaks for itself.
Journalism, when done correctly, is a skilled trade, and like any skilled tradesman, I’ve earned the right to be compensated for my work. The same goes for every individual under the employ of Watershed Voice. When we launched this publication four years ago, I vowed that anyone drawing a salary would earn a living wage, the definition of which varies depending on where you live and who you speak to, but in St. Joseph County, Michigan, I defined it as no less than $15 per hour, regardless of the position held. We haven’t always had the funding to do so, but when we have, I’ve made sure that vow was honored.
Journalism costs money, and while I have aspirations of making all of our content free and accessible to all regardless of an individual’s financial circumstance, our work will come at a cost, and that cost must be paid. That is why we are currently attempting to establish a foundation of 600 monthly donors at $10 or more, so ultimately, we can offer all of our hard work for “free” to this community. If and when we reach that number, we will remove our paywall altogether, so that you have the information you need to make decisions in your daily life as well as at the voting booth, regardless of whether you have the means to be one of those donors.
A staff of three, the bare minimum in terms of capacity that we need to properly do this work, including myself (full-time), our office manager Steph Hightree (part-time), and a staff writer (full-time) costs $88,400 annually, or $7,366.66 on average per month. Factoring in the cost of website upkeep, data storage, our freelance budget, and other bills, this nonprofit needs north of $100,000 annually to operate at the level you’ve become accustomed to.
So if you value our work and wish to see this organization achieve sustainability, and eventually growth, please consider becoming a monthly donor today.
Alek Haak-Frost is executive editor and publisher of Watershed Voice.
