Support TucsonSentinel.com's authentically local news - your gift doubled!

A message from Dylan Smith and the staff of TucsonSentinel.com:

Dear friends and neighbors,

Halloween is upon us — and what could be spookier than a community without tenacious and meaningful watchdog journalism?

What would politicians and bureaucrats get up to if someone didn't keep an eye on them?

Shudder to think, no? (And yes, we're more than happy to let you know when they get something done right, too.)

Since our founding eight years ago, you've come to rely on the reporting of TucsonSentinel.com. A lot of Southern Arizonans have. No one covers local politics, public policy and border and immigration issues with the same skill, integrity and understanding as we do.

Local nonprofit independent media oultets like ours face significant challenges. We frankly struggle with resources and could certainly use another couple of capable reporters digging into what goes on in this town. Tucson needs that.

It takes a lot of energy and scrappiness to uphold the high quality of our reporting.

And it takes money. Our staff are talented professionals, some with decades of experience in investigative and community journalism. And maintaining our computers, website, cameras, replacing worn-out shoe leather and putting gas in trucks for trips through the desert adds to our costs.

To make things work, we rely on donations from readers like you. That's why TucsonSentinel.com needs your help with a tremendous opportunity.

 Your gift — doubled!

I'm excited to announce a matching gift opportunity from News Match, a prestigious national campaign to encourage grassroots support for nonprofit news organizations like ours. Starting right now — and until the end of the year — News Match will match — dollar-for-dollar — each donation we receive, up to $1,000 per individual donor.

Will you please give today to invest in the news that you and your neighbors need?

This is an incredible opportunity for us and for you, as one of our loyal readers. With News Match, we could receive as much as $28,000 in additional funding over the next two months. That would be an enormous boost for us as a bootstrapped startup nonprofit.

A smarter Tucson is a better Tucson

Keeping Tucson well informed is an important factor in the overall well-being of our community.

The Sentinel's accountability journalism and celebration of Tucson's unique culture has gained respect not just locally, but across the country — that's why we're among the leaders in the growing movement to rebuild local journalism from the ground up (I'm one of the founders of Local Independent Online News Publishers, a national educational nonprofit). It's also why TucsonSentinel.com is among the participants picked for the special opportunity offered by News Match.

 Tax-deductible, too

Because TucsonSentinel.com is a nonprofit news organization, any donation you make between now and December 31 not only gets doubled by News Match, but it's also fully tax-deductible. So won't you make a donation today and have it matched, dollar-for-dollar?

This important initiative to strengthen selected nonprofit newsrooms is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Democracy Fund. This is a great opportunity to help us produce more of the strong accountability journalism you have come to expect from TucsonSentinel.com.

Fighting fake news with real reporting

With this matching gift program, we can bring you even more of the serious journalism you've come to expect from us. Whether it's the solid border and immigration reporting and photography from Paul Ingram, our breaking news on Arizona's GOP delegation calling for the end of the Ironwood and Sonoran Desert national monuments being referenced by the Arizona Republic, my stream of investigations into campaign filings by local political committees and congressional candidates, the celebrations of Tucson's musical creativity from Julie Jennings Patterson, Betty Beard's experienced takes on business and economic stories, talented FC Tucson soccer reports by Ted Prezelski and amazing actions photos by Josh Pearson, the knowing eye and relevant explanations of Blake Morlock in his "What the Devil won't tell you" columns, our being so far ahead of the recent ruling on Mexican-American Studies that we broke the news to TUSD board members in person, Paul's work with Joe Watson about the possible deportation of Marine vet George Ybarra being picked up around the world (including by the Guardian and Bill Moyers), and TucsonSentinel.com being the only news outlet in the nation to write about the move to exempt the Border Patrol from the Freedom of Information Act (a provision that was pulled immediately after we reported on it), TucsonSentinel.com does reporting that no one else is tackling.

But, simply put, without you and your donation, the stories that make us all smarter, wiser and more rounded citizens may go untold.

We would be deeply grateful for your help in unlocking the vital additional funds offered by News Match. Your gift right now will advance our mission of delivering tough watchdog reporting in the public interest into 2018.

Please join with your fellow readers and support TucsonSentinel.com. We'll put your dollars to work holding politicians accountable, reporting the untold stories of the borderlands, and bringing you and the rest of Southern Arizona nonpartisan independent news without the spin.

We count on readers like you to help us pursue these important stories. If you value what we're doing and want to see TucsonSentinel.com continue and grow, please make your tax-deductible gift today! ?

If you've already donated, thanks so much for your support. If you haven't yet, please join recent donors like Anne Stericker, Mary Swiergol, Katie Maass, Chris Wagganer, Trudy Wilner Stack, Michelle Crow, Michael Milczgarek, Richard Underwood, Paul d'Hedouville, Randall Terpstra, Corinne Cooper, Fran Dostillio, Judith Koffler, Humberto Lopez, Linus Kafka, Trudy Wilner Stack, Margaret Iverson, David Miehl, Kevin Foote, John Leavitt, Heidi Harley, Gerald Anderson, Lydia Campbell, Mike Ingram, Tom Volgy, David Mandel, Lydia Campbell, Marie Olson, Kayla Boyer, MaryHelen Kaser, Betsy Bolding, Joel Fineman, Linda Ray and Jonathan Hoffman, as well as Jennifer Phillips, Elizabeth Kingslien, Simon Rosenblatt, JD Wallace, Olga Yiparaki, Anne Gomez, Paula Toffolo, Tom Walker, Larry N. Deutsch & William F. Parker, Catherine Gale, Kurt Reighley, Sharon Bronson, Ron Barber and so many more, and give your tax-deductible gift today! Just click this link.

Here's what's scary

With the challenges we face as a community, and the heated partisan rhetoric about which set of "facts" to believe, there's never been a more urgent need for independent, transparent and vigilant local reporting. And sadly, chain media outlets run by companies headquartered thousands of miles away have demonstrated that they're not going to invest more in our town. They're just going to continue to cut.

You may not know that there are hundreds of journalists who are no longer reporting, just right here in Tucson, compared to a decade ago. There are only about half as many newspaper journalists in this country than there were a decade ago. Layoffs and shutdowns at chain newspapers and TV stations mean there are many fewer watchdogs looking out for us than a decade ago. Even as our community is growing, our press is shrinking dramatically.

That's why it's even more important to have journalism here that's invested in the success and future of this community.

And it's why we have big plans to expand our reach, deepen our reporting, and increase the impact of authentically local news this year and next — but we need help from the community right now.

I know an informed community is important to you, and that you understand the consequences when watchdogs lose their teeth and are muzzled. We can't make wise decisions as a community without having solid, relevant information. That requires a healthy press — and that requires readers who recognize the value we deliver in making everyone in this town a little bit smarter.

We're committed to making quality news accessible; we'll never set up a paywall or charge for our site. But we rely on your support to bring you, your neighbors and everyone else in Southern Arizona independent news without the spin.

You can contribute today by going to TucsonSentinel.com/donate.

Thanks for reading, and for your support of quality, nonprofit, nonpartisan local reporting.

cheers,

Dylan Smith

Editor & Publisher - TucsonSentinel.com

P.S.

We don't often get an opportunity like News Match. Please invest in the local news we need today.

Journalism is a vital public service in a democracy. Investigative reporting uncovers injustice, exposes corruption and holds officials accountable. Community reporting celebrates the unique nature of Tucson's people, reflecting our sense of place through a knowing lens.

We aim to provide both: to point out the things we all love about Southern Arizona, and point to possible solutions for what needs changing. We believe that just as an unexamined life is not worth living, an unexamined city is not worth living in. A smarter Tucson is a better Tucson.

But insightful reporting doesn't come free. Make your gift today — you may make a one-time contribution, or sign up for a monthly subscription that supports nonpartisan reporting year-round.

Just one more thing:

Do us a huge favor and help spread the word about TucsonSentinel.com by telling your friends and family about us, and why you believe truly independent local news is so vital. Thanks!