The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in Evanston has dramatically increased the number of stories Evanston Now needs to produce to fulfill our mission of providing you with important local news.
But it hasn’t increased the staff available to report and write those stories. We’ve published nearly 150 stories on the pandemic in the past two months, but we recognize that there are even more aspects of the story that should be covered.
Visits to Evanston Now have soared during the crisis, and we’ve seen a heartwarming 28% increase in subscriptions.
But advertising revenue, the other financial pillar of our operation, has fallen short of expectations, with so many local businesses shuttered or struggling to stay open.
To fund additional reporting for our crisis coverage we’ve partnered with the new COVID-19 Local News Fund, operated by the Local Media Foundation.
The partnership makes it possible for you to make a tax-deductible charitable contribution to help support and expand Evanston Now’s crisis coverage efforts.
Any amount will help. You can donate online today at https://givebutter.com/evanstonnow
If you’d rather write a check, please make it payable to the Local Media Foundation and specify Evanston Now in the memo field. Send it to Evanston Now, 1726 Wesley Ave., Evanston, IL 60201.
And if you have ideas for additional COVID-19 stories we should cover, feel free to contact me at bill@evanstonnow.com or by phone at 847-733-7526.
Thanks!
Bill Smith
Publisher