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by Guy Page
Vermont Sen. Andy Perchlik on Wednesday squarely blamed President Donald Trump for pushing the state into the unusual position of funding news media, arguing that sustained attacks on the press have helped destabilize local journalism and threaten democracy itself.
Speaking at a State House press conference announcing Vermont’s first Local Civic Journalism Awards, Perchlik said the program is a defensive response to a national political climate he attributes largely to Trump.
“The press is under attack,” Perchlik said. “We have a president who says the press is the enemy of the people.” He described the new grants as “almost like a vaccine to fight against the infection” created by those attacks, particularly by Trump and his supporters.
Vermont this week awarded $100,000 in grants to 16 local news organizations, marking a notable step into publicly supported journalism. The awards, administered by the Secretary of State’s Office, provide either $5,000 or $10,000 to small, mostly locally owned outlets.
Half of the funding came from the state budget, with the other half matched by the Vermont Community Foundation’s Press Forward initiative. The taxpayer-funded half was inserted into the state’s general budget by Perchlik near the end of the 2025 Session of the Legislature.
Perchlik, a Washington County Democrat, emphasized that the grants are modest but symbolic, framing them as a way to shore up independent, fact-based reporting at a time when trust in institutions has eroded.
“We should be supporting it just as we support a free and independent judiciary, we want a free and independent press corps,” he said, adding that he has always viewed the press as “the fourth branch of government.” Perchlik also addressed concerns that government shouldn’t be paying the independent news media covering it.
The press conference, held in the Cedar Creek Room, also featured leaders from the Vermont Journalism Coalition and the Vermont Community Foundation, who released a new report on the state’s news ecosystem. The Vermont News & Information Ecosystem Report found that while Vermont has more than 60 news and information providers — about 80% locally owned — most operate with limited staff and face uncertain futures.
According to the report, 92% of Vermonters surveyed said local news should be available to everyone, and 70% said well-informed communities benefit all residents. At the same time, barriers persist for some audiences, including youth, LGBTQ+ residents, immigrants and refugees, who often do not see their experiences reflected in local coverage.
Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas said her office’s involvement in administering the grants reflects a civic, not political, goal.
“In order to get involved, we need access to information about what’s going on in our communities and the actions of our leaders,” she said. “A robust network of independent local journalism is crucial to that effort.”
Perchlik said Vermont’s move should be seen in the context of national trends, where the decline of local news has coincided with increased polarization and misinformation.
“We are seeing across our nation and world the collapse of decency, democracy and dedication to facts that follows the loss of local, professional, and independent journalism,” he said. “We can’t let that happen here.”
Recipients of the inaugural awards, representing a cross-section of print, digital, radio and television outlets, were recognized at the event.
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Categories: Media, State Government
Any time a democrat is promoting an “independent media”, hold on to your wallet and expect anything but “independent”. He who pays the fiddler calls the tune, as it has been for decades with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
In other words:
Pr-opaganda is under attack and being defunded … State sponsored propaganda panda… Words. Words. Words.
How much did Kevin Hoyt get? 🤪
Yet another democrat, out-of-state carpetbagger saving us unenlightened, ignorant Vermonters from ourselves. A majority of Washington County voters are giving those of Chittenden County a run for their money in the arrogance department.
Who are the 16 local organizations?
First four get $10k the rest get $5k
The Bridge, Montpelier
Vermont Independent Media (The Commons, Deerfield Valley News), Brattleboro
Waterbury Roundabout, Waterbury
White River Valley Herald, Randolph
Addison County Independent, Middlebury
Barton Chronicle, Barton
Caledonian-Record, St. Johnsbury
Chester Telegraph, Chester
Hardwick Gazette, Hardwick
Hinesburg Record, Hinesburg
Journal-Opinion, Bradford
North Star Monthly, Danville
Valley News, West Lebanon, N.H.
Valley Reporter, Waitsfield
Vermont Community Newspaper Group (Stowe Reporter, News & Citizen, The Other Paper, The Citizen, Shelburne News), Stowe
Radio Vermont Group (WDEV), Waterbury
https://vermontcf.org/news/local-civic-journalism-awards/
What a bunch of hooey!! The barriers for audiences in Vermont are deliberately erected against conservatives. Trump hasn’t done anything to the media — or does Bozo the Clown think Don Lemmon had a “right” to invade a church? (If so, I’m a journalist and I guess I can just break into Perchlik’s house while he’s in the shower and interview him.) Where was Bozo when Biden actually DID curtail and control the media, and created a government agency to police journalism? Oh, right — he was with the progressives, enjoying it. This guy needs to be voted out!
Independent or Communist? Most of our media outlets nowadays are the latter.
For heaven sake, government funding for anyone in the press just proves that said press is NOT independent or free. Any legislator who supports this funding is attacking the Bill of Rights.
I would never take money from the government for my newspaper. Never. Didn’t take a covid loan either.
I have some news for Sen. Perchlik. People lost faith in the media long before Trump became Pres. That is why when he called the media “fake news” people were thrilled. We know the media is biased. The media reports peaceful protests when we can all see the protests are not peaceful. Now that Trump has become Pres. the media has gotten so bad that many people no longer watch the news. The media never reports the good that Trump has done. The media snubs our beautiful First Lady, Melania. The media creates fear over every little thing Trump says or does. The media repeats lies over and over even when their reporting has been deemed false. How can Sen.Perchlik claim that the LGBT community is under reported in the news when there is a whole month dedicated to LGBT activities. Why only 16 media outlets get taxpayer funds. This gives them an advantage over the other 64 media outlets. I thought we all wanted equity. Giving these Grants is a very bad use of taxpayer money.
I think I love you!
What a load of propaganda this Leftist Perchlik is spewing. And like a good little Leftist, it is, of course, all Trump’s fault.
“The press is under attack,’ Perchlik said. ‘We have a president who says the press is the enemy of the people.’”
No, Andy.
Our president and his administration, who are fighting to help the American people, are under attack. We have a press which says that the president is the enemy of the people.
This is a textbook case of gaslighting, and the press has been infiltrated by Communists and weaponized against the American people and our president.
While walking in my usual AM mile walk, good time to think. Came to this conclusion about letters attached to politician names Rep, Dem or I. Simplifying the understanding of each as I’ve noticed over the years R stands for Relief D stands for Destruction, I stands for I’m clueless.
I could be wrong, but maybe if the “mainstream” (?) press reported news in an unbiased, even handed way, people with enough brain cells to recognize that bias would be willing to show more support for their product. Until then Fake News is going to continue to be known as such. And as far as any government subsidies, unless everybody is getting a piece of the pie, no one should get any pie. Let businesses prosper, or fail on their own. If you can’t compete, maybe you should fail.
In other words they, (the liberal left wing ding bats) feel it necessary to fund newspapers that I don’t read, anyone know if NYC funds the New York Times? Just asking for a friend, they are insane, newspapers should never take taxpayers money, operate for profit, non profit, but leave my money alone!
Brattleboro’s COMMONS and VT DIGGER (Panicking about AI), Rutland Herald. Know about this from VDC commenters to name a couple. Be more if I read the papers in VT, but I’d be buying them to cover a bird cage floor.
President Trump did not destroy the media, he pointed out the bias and flaws in what the system has devolved into, Dems are panicking that they no longer will have control of all of the propaganda they are used to
All of Vermont’s lawmakers know (or should know) that public funding of media violates the US Constitution never mind the most basic principles of journalism. No excuse, & it’s a middle finger to me & alternative media that can’t access the $.
As you point out, there seems to be a cognitive dissonance in how conservatives and moonbats interpret the Constitution….Freedom OF religion vs freedom FROM religion. Giving public funding to selected media organization is an abridgement in my interpretation.
How does public funding of “media” violate the US Constitution?
The Supreme Court had historically allowed Congress wide latitude relating to “media” spending, and such funding supports educational, non-commercial content. However, the government cannot use funding to compel, coerce, or punish viewpoint-specific coverage.
And…if you were able to access the money as “alternative media” wouldn’t those actions also be in violation?
Notice all the fresh, bright red on the Wapo protestors?
Or Karen Bass’ mayoral photo?
Or the three red banners in the Obama and Biden logos?
Coincidence, I’m sure.
Maybe if the reported the truth and not pick side, and do their job as a free and independent news outlet all of America would be better off and not want to stop paying for their printed and talk reporting trash.
This news outlet and a couple others are fai and balanced not talking sides. Where is leftist outlets integrity???