Dear readers,
After announcing our hiatus plans last month, dozens of you reached out asking to help LebTown resume publication.
In just four short years LebTown has become the primary news source for Lebanon County. In the wake of our announcement, we heard deep concern that our community would revert back to being a news desert.
Most important of all, we heard from members that they would stand behind us even as we entered our hiatus period and took a step back from the daily grind of publishing LebTown. It is thanks to our members that LebTown will be restoring elements of our most essential journalism to the site starting on Feb. 7.
Through a collaborative process involving LebTown members and our core newsroom team, we came up with a list of coverage priorities that will serve as our interim editorial strategy:
- Economy/Business Development
- Reps in PA House/Senate
- Lebanon County Commissioners
- Police Blotter
- Good News Wednesdays
- Spotlight PA Syndication
During this interim period, we will not be publishing at the volume we had been previously, but with further financial support from the community, we will be expanding our focus and hope to eventually eclipse where we had been previously in terms of editorial scope.
As part of this restoration process, we will resume delivery of the email newsletter on a weekly basis to start, with emails sent out on Thursdays. As further financial support from the community makes additional coverage possible, we will revisit adding back other days for email distribution.
Going forward, we will continue to prioritize member voices as we weigh options for the future of LebTown. If you believe in LebTown’s mission of providing local news for Lebanon County, I strongly urge you to join us as a member. For $5 a month, you will make an impact on our ability to expand coverage, and will receive invitations to provide feedback and participate in member forums as we continue to chart a course forward for LebTown.
We are taking every action we can to ensure LebTown remains a sustainable enterprise.
In response to reader requests, we have identified a way to accept tax-deductible charitable gifts. Your donations to this program jointly run with the Local Media Foundation will directly fund coverage of local municipal meetings to keep Lebanon Countians informed and engaged with their local government. You can donate online here through our platform partner, GiveButter, or text (202) 858-1233 to donate using code LEBTOWN.
You can also mail checks directly to the Local Media Foundation at the following address.
Local Media Foundation
P.O. Box 85015
Chicago, IL 60689-5033
If you mail a check, please include LebTown Civic Impact Reporting Project in the memo line. Additionally, please include a note with a mailing address or email address indicating where the receipt should be sent.
All donations to Local Media Foundation for this project are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. No goods or services will be provided in exchange for contributions, and you are encouraged to consult a tax advisor for further details on how tax-deductible donations work. The program will be administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36‐4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association, and a letter certifying our fiscal sponsorship with the Local Media Foundation for this project is available on request.
Lastly, we are starting to bring local advertising back to the site. We care deeply about our local business community and providing best-in-class digital advertising products at an affordable cost. If you are interested in either advertising, please email me at editor@lebtown.com.
I know how much LebTown means to many of you and encourage you to demonstrate that conviction by becoming a financial supporter of our efforts. Ultimately it is the only way that we will be able to sustain our efforts for the betterment of Lebanon County.
Thank you for reading LebTown,
Davis
