Legacy journalism is collapsing when Americans need news most

Only five months from the 2024 election, legacy media outlets are facing the consequences of their outdated models [Courier]( Friend, 2024 is set to be the most consequential election of our lifetime. Donald Trump, the first former president to be convicted of a felony, is at the top of the ticket, and if he wins, he is promising an authoritarian presidency at odds with the core values of American democracy. With the high stakes, our need for quality, factual journalism has never been more urgent. Layoffs. Paywalls. Shrinking budgets. In a moment, we’ll tell you why the legacy media is struggling to meet this history-defining moment right now, [but if you already know the importance of making trustworthy, local journalism available in communities that need it most, can you pitch in $20 now?]( Normally in an election year, the legacy media is focused on serving democracy by producing as much high-quality coverage as possible. But this year, it’s not happening. The Washington Post, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal are facing historic business pressures just 5 months from Election Day. Newsroom layoffs, Artificial intelligence, musical chairs among C-Suite executives, and budget shortfalls are causing more media organizations to hide their best content behind paywalls. This is unprecedented. Axios recently reported that The Washington Post has lost about half of its audience in recent years, and even in the face of a huge election, they’re struggling to add readers. Their news coverage and business model are failing, and the impact on our democracy has the potential to be catastrophic. This is where COURIER comes in. COURIER was founded as a direct response to the decline of accessible, trustworthy journalism in America. Across our network of 10 battleground state newsrooms, we fight the spread of bad information about the 2024 elections by delivering factual, local journalism to the online spaces where people actually read and watch their news. We don’t do clickbait headlines, empty horse race coverage, or play “both sides” just to turn a profit. Instead, we serve news deserts (communities vulnerable to misinformation because they lack trustworthy sources of local news) election news that’s actually relevant in their local community. A crazy concept, right? The best part is that our research shows our innovative model works—when the public can access good information about elections, they vote! That’s why your support is so important right now. With the legacy media failing to me their obligation to democracy, we urgently need to expand our reach! [But we need your help. With such a consequential election only five months away, our newsrooms need all the support they can get to bring news to the communities who need it most. Can you chip in $20 now to keep our newsrooms running?]( Express Donate: If you've stored your info with ActBlue Express, we'll process your contribution instantly: [$5]( [$15]( [$25]( [$50]( Thanks, The COURIER Team --------------------------------------------------------------- Email us: info@couriernewsroom.com [Become a member!]( This message was sent to: {EMAIL}. Email is a critical way we communicate with grassroots supporters like you. However, if you would like to change your subscription preferences, here are some options: [Receive Fewer Emails]( [Update Your Information]( [unsubscribe]( To give by check: Courier Newsroom Box 509 New York, NY 10032