Support independent local news.
Giving monthly or yearly qualifies you as a member! Or, make a one-time gift to support local news today.
Or choose your own amount for a one-time gift.
Join our Publisher’s Circle with a donation of $85/month or $1,000/year, and receive special acknowledgment in each issue of our weekly newsletter, The Indy.
All members who give $50/month or more receive a special ‘Order of the Opossum’ sticker.
To give by check, mail to PO Box 2602, Athens, OH 45701. Make checks payable to Southeast Ohio Independent News, the nonprofit which publishes the Athens County Independent. To give another way, contact us.
Already have an account? Manage your subscriptions here.
Benefits
Our membership program sustains our work to deliver independent local news year-round. Whether you give monthly or annually, all members receive:
- A monthly members report on all that your gifts make possible.
- A membership sticker.
- An invitation to our annual members’ forum, which helps guide our work.
- Recognition in the Member Spotlight section of our newsletter.
- Sustainable, thriving local news for Athens County.
Why donate?
Local news is disappearing. American newspaper staffs have shrunk by 57% since 2004, eroding their ability to cover their communities. Athens County is no exception. Since buying The Athens News and The Athens Messenger in 2014, Adams Publishing Group has eliminated dozens of jobs. Today, those papers have a single editor and news reporter each.
Decline and loss of local news threatens our democracy. Communities with less local news experience more public corruption, higher government spending and increased polarization — along with lower voter turnout and fewer candidates running for office.
But we’re not taking this lying down.
The Athens County Independent joins a growing wave of independent, nonprofit news media across the U.S.
We won’t only cover what’s happening. We’ll aim to show how and why news affects Athens County through investigative, data-driven, and solutions-oriented journalism. We will equip local residents to engage with their communities by monitoring power, giving voice to those marginalized from power, aggregating public information, and facilitating discussion and debate.
To do that, we need your support.
Quality journalism is expensive: good equipment, strong resources, and — most important — newsroom staff. We believe that everyone has the right to news, so we won’t have a paywall. Our work will be available to everyone, regardless of their ability to buy a subscription. But we still have to pay the bills.
Your tax-deductible donation will help us become Athens County’s trusted, go-to news source, empowering all residents to drive change toward a more fair, connected and participatory community.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my contribution be considered a charitable donation for tax purposes?
Yes! We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization, and we will provide you a charitable tax receipt.
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I already contribute. How do I cancel my recurring donation?
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What if I have a different question?
Get in touch by selecting “Customer Service” on our contact page.
We empower community engagement through accessible public service journalism.
