Asheville Watchdog is a free, local, not-for-profit, nonpartisan news organization. It was founded in 2020 as a public service by veteran professional journalists and media executives living in and around Asheville, North Carolina. Most members of the staff are volunteers. Our operations are supported entirely by contributions from the community.
We believe that high-quality, independent local journalism is essential for a successful democracy.
Our mission is to inform and engage the citizens of Asheville and surrounding communities by providing fair, factual and reliable in-depth news stories about local government, institutions, issues, and people.
We started Asheville Watchdog because local news is in crisis. One-fourth of America’s newspapers have closed in the past 15 years, including more than 300 in the past two years. More than 1,800 communities nationwide that had local newspapers 15 years ago now have no original reporting. More than half of all newsroom jobs vanished since 2008. This means there are fewer reporters to keep watch over state and local government, to dig deep into the issues, and to hold the powerful accountable.
At the same time, misinformation is pervasive on social media and even many mainstream news outlets, including deliberate attempts to spread false, biased, or incendiary stories. The recent introduction of ChatGPT and similar generative AI programs is certain to exacerbate the problem. Asheville Watchdog is committed to truth, verifiable facts, transparency, science, and important context, guided by human experience and wisdom.
We do not compete with existing media, but rather try to complement and expand the critical services they provide. Our reporting is offered without charge to The Asheville Citizen Times, WLOS-TV News 13, Blue Ridge Public Radio, Mountain Xpress, The Urban News, The Mountaineer, the Biltmore Beacon, Smoky Mountain News, and other local publications and broadcast stations.
Asheville Watchdog is, for now, a virtual newsroom. For general inquiries, email bark@avlwatchdog.org.
Financials
Our 501c3 EIN: 85-0614521