One year in, we still need your help
Today marks a full year since we published our first story as the Long Beach Watchdog.
Dear reader,
Today marks one year since we published our first story as the Long Beach Watchdog.
In that time we've held powerful politicians and business owners accountable, amplified community voices and brought you stories no one else would.
Now we need your help to keep going.
While the constant feed of increasingly harrowing national headlines screams for near-constant attention, it's local decisions, made right here at home, in city hall, at school board meetings and by municipal commissions that directly impact your life.
We built the Watchdog as a worker cooperative because we believe journalism serves communities best when reporters answer to readers — not wealthy owners, corporate sponsors or major donors. This gives us the freedom to pursue stories others won't touch.
But it also means we're on our own financially.
We do this because we believe in the mission — but it's not sustainable. The hard truth is, every single Watchdog has had to take a second job to keep our journalism alive.
You may have even noticed some names missing from our homepage in recent months. We've lost some talented journalists along the way, who have been forced to leave for other opportunities. Some have even left the news entirely, which is a loss to the industry and our community as a whole.
It’s no secret that the local news model is broken. You’ve heard for years how ad revenue has fled to tech giants, how hedge funds have bought up local papers only to gut them and news deserts are spreading across America.
Last year, Long Beach nearly became one.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. If every person reading this contributed just $5 a month, we could pay every one of our journalists a living wage and even expand our coverage.
Our news is free; your subscription isn't buying you access to our reporting. It's investing in the people working tirelessly to protect our democracy, bring you transparency and uplift our community.
Today, on our first anniversary, become a monthly supporter, and help ensure Long Beach keeps its Watchdog. On behalf of the entire Watchdog team, I hope and believe we’ve earned it.
In solidarity,
Dennis Dean
CEO, Long Beach Watchdog
We need your support.
Subcribe to the Watchdog today.
The Long Beach Watchdog is owned by journalists, and paid for by readers like you. If independent, local reporting like the story you just read is important to you, support our work by becoming a subscriber.
