By Guy Page
A handwritten letter from a longtime Sustaining Subscriber postmarked December 4 says everything I wish I had the chutzpah to tell our readers.
“My voluntary subscription for 2025-2026 is enclosed.”
Yes, all Sustaining Subscriptions are voluntary. You can read VDC for free, although after January 1 all commenters will be required to subscribe at the new, higher rate of $132/year. Subscribe before January 1 and you’re locked in for a year of commenting at the current, lower rate of $108.
“The Vermont Daily Chronicle continues to be a vital part of the Vermont scene. You and your partners & staff are going the extra mile and it shows. I hope your readership and financial support is growing substantially alongside the continued excellence of the journalistic content.”
Yeah, about that…. Financial support has failed to keep track with our audience growth. VDC alone has grown its audience by more than 20% over last year’s record, The Burlington Daily News at an even greater rate, and our daily 11 AM call-in radio program Hot Off The Press on WDEV has increased our reach.
“Hopefully, the percentage of your readership who refuse to pay for the work that goes into VDC is diminishing. How selfish and dumb can they be to expect the Chronicle to be a part-time volunteer operation. Many of them are passionate in their beliefs, but don’t pay a single dime to support what they believe in.”
Preach it, brother!
Anyway, enough from my soap box. Hope you and your key people continue to be happy and fulfilled by what you are doing and that the financial side is good enough to keep you from being demoralized. Merry Christmas, {name withheld].
Thank you so much. Our morale here on the front lines is just fine. We have not grown weary in doing good and are hoping to reap support in this season. As plants need sunlight, newspapers need paying readers. Reader, if you value what we do, please help us grow…..
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Checks may be mailed to: Vermont Daily Chronicle, P.O. Box 1547, Montpelier, Vermont, 05601.