'No News is Bad News': Help us cover the general election
If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better over the past year, please consider supporting us with a donation to our crowdfunder.
Welcome to this special edition of The Newsroom, the monthly members' newsletter of the Great Central Gazette. We've sent this issue to all our subscribers, as we have some exciting news.
The Great Central Gazette is pleased to announce we have launched a new crowdfunder for Indie News Week 2024, a brand-new initiative taking place around the UK from 3 to 9 June which highlights independent news providers like us.
Under the banner of ‘No News is Bad News’, we hope to raise £2,000 to cover all expenses during the general election period. This includes: salaries, web hosting fees, travel expenses, venue hire costs, subscription fees, and legal support when necessary.
We have secured matched funding for Indie News Week from the Public Interest News Foundation, which could enable us to commission more articles and pay our reporters a freelance wage over the election. Currently, the team is made up of volunteers.
If the crowdfunder is successful, we'll be able to:
Publish explainers and guides about voting, like where to go and when
Look at policies in more detail with analysis and deep dives
Arrange debates between candidates, so people can see what they think
Check if what candidates say is true with a fact-checking service
Make election tools to help people understand how to vote
Provide live coverage of the election count and results
Cover all candidates and parties regardless of their chances
Create something a little different, like the history of elections in Leicester.
If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better over the past year, please consider supporting us with a donation to our crowdfunder.
We have several rewards on offer in return for your donation, including discounted membership and sponsorship, a limited edition tote bag, an exclusive lunch with The Gazette co-founders, and discounted lifetime membership.
Regardless of how much we raise, we'll receive all pledges made by 1 July 2024.
Why support indie news in Leicester?
Without news, how would you know about the issues affecting your community?
Would you know what your local authorities were planning or whether they were acting legally?
How would you know if your local environment was being impacted and by whom?
And how would you know about the positive changes in your area, the success stories?
As long as you have a local independent news source in your area, your community can stay informed – but sadly, far too many news providers cannot cover their costs, and have to shut down. In Leicester, we want to buck that trend.
What people say about us
“The Gazette's co-operative, not-for-profit model is breaking new ground and working to fill the gap left by the decline of traditional media” – Nick Carter, ex-Leicester Mercury editor
“I'm full of admiration for the team behind The Gazette. They have rapidly become an important voice for Leicester, helping fill the gap in local media” – Geoff Rowe, founder, Leicester Comedy Festival
“I'm a big fan of the Great Central Gazette. From the moment of their launch, the team had already set such high standards in their work and attention to accessibility. The team have backed this with amazing ethics and a powerful ethos, celebrating the very best of co-op culture” — Jane Hearst, reader
By supporting our crowdfunder, you can help us bridge the gap and keep all members of our community informed and empowered.
Without your support, we will not have enough resources to cover important topics over the next six weeks of campaigning. This means you might miss out on valuable information that helps you understand what's going on in our community during this crucial election period.
Rhys is a seasoned journalist, writer, and community organiser. As community lead, he works across fundraising, community engagement, daily operations and some editorial work too.
