Currents reporters Brett Throop (left) and Alex Karn (centre) with publisher-editor Will Pearson.

This is it. The make-or-break year for Peterborough Currents.

For four years now, we’ve been serving Peterborough with in-depth, community-centred journalism. At the same time, we’ve been trying to achieve financial sustainability as an independent, locally-owned business.

Our philosophy: If we produce something the community values, people will open their wallets and support us, enabling us to continue and grow.

It’s working.

“Peterborough Currents is inspirational, aspirational, and transformational,” a supporter recently wrote to us. “It’s deep, and meaningful, and hard-hitting, and sometimes fun and playful.”

Right now, 275 community members support us, contributing a total of $3,421 per month. Our model is working — but it’s not working fast enough. Currents has yet to reach a point where our regular monthly revenues cover the cost of producing our journalism.

When we first started budgeting for 2024, we realized we wouldn’t make it to the end of the year without making big cutbacks. We weren’t up for it and we considered giving up.

Then, we were thrown a lifeline. We secured one-time grant funding that allowed us to hire a new reporter and boost our other reporter’s hours.

This is the most exciting thing to ever happen to Currents. With another reporter, we’ll be able to serve our community better. And our costs are covered for 12 whole months! That’s the longest runway we’ve ever had.

But it’s also a risk, because the grant that makes it all possible only lasts for a year. Twelve months from now, we’ll have to reassess.

So here’s our challenge. Over the next 12 months, we need to increase our audience revenue to close that gap and compensate for the grant funding that will disappear. How much, exactly, do we need? An additional $60,000 per year, give or take.

I believe it’s possible. But we have to start right now. That’s why the 12-month period we’re embarking on in April 2024 is the make-or-break year for Peterborough Currents.

We need your help right away. The earlier we start, the less pressure we’ll face at the end of the year.

Will you sign up as a supporter of Peterborough Currents and help increase access to local news?

Yes, I’ll Support Local News

Across Canada, local news outlets are struggling, putting democracy at risk and weakening the bonds of our communities.

But Peterborough Currents is nurturing a new way of doing local journalism. Deep, grassroots, and community-centred.

“Peterborough Currents is the best local reporting I have come across,” another supporter shared with us recently. “It brings together excellent journalism, thoughtful investigations and well written articles. I learn so much more about my community reading Peterborough Currents. I’m so glad you exist!”

We’re glad we exist, too. And we’re optimistic that we’ll exist for years to come. But we need you to prove our optimism right by signing up as a supporter right now.

It’s a privilege to produce journalism for a community we love. Thank you for the opportunity, and here’s to the make-or-break year for Peterborough Currents!

The post Join us for Peterborough Currents’ make-or-break year appeared first on Peterborough Currents.