Dear Friends,
As the publisher of the nonprofit Asheville Watchdog, I have been amazed at what our all-volunteer reporting staff has accomplished in our first year and a half. Of course, my expectations were high based solely on their credentials – three Pulitzer Prizes and impressive careers at some of the country’s leading media organizations. But their hard work and attention to detail is unmatched, especially for a group of retirees!
Through their meticulous reporting, The Watchdog has revealed the underpinnings and consequences of the sale of Mission Hospital, the misinformation and lies told in the critically important NC 11 Congressional race, and we are preparing to publish a major investigation, the result of a year-long effort, detailing how mostly elderly and Black homeowners have signed over their properties to a local investor and forfeited years if not generations of equity. See more of our stories at www.avlwatchdog.org.
The Watchdog is entering a new phase. To build a long-term foundation for quality in-depth journalism in Asheville and the surrounding communities, we need to move beyond our reliance on volunteer retirees. Soon you are going to hear about our first real fundraising appeal. We know everyone is limited on giving, and we have appreciated so much the people who have already responded by giving through our website. But we need to hire and train a new generation of local journalists who can cover more stories of vital interest to the community.
Please feel free to contact me directly about our exciting plans. We will continue to offer our content free to readers and other news entities, and we are committed to delivering in-depth, high-quality journalism to the region.
Thanks so much for your attention.
Yours,
Bob Gremillion, publisher
Asheville Watchdog
bgremillion@avlwatchdog.org
Good morning. Great idea and mission. I’m pondering support which would be conditional on whether you good folks will have a partisan filter or not? The volunteer credentials appear to lean left, but perhaps your mission is more journalistically sincere than personal experience suggests. Thank you for this effort.