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This is obviously a fraught time in journalism, with individual newspapers and entire chains being purposely broken by billionaires or gutted and scrapped for parts by private equity firms.

And yet! The demand people have for news will not go away, which creates opportunities for those willing to do the hard work of trying to build something different. 

In the three-plus years I’ve been with Matter News, this is what we’ve attempted to do, organically growing a community news source into something of which the city can be proud. 

In the past year, we’ve added a new monthly labor columnist, expanded our freelance budget by nearly 50 percent, and formed a partnership with Cringe to bring a robust live events calendar to our website. Along with this, we have continued to deliver the best cultural coverage in the city while expanding on a deep well of community features, digging into everything from the impact of Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s decision to end gender-affirming care to the Ohio State educators targeted by Turning Point’s professor watchlist.

Here are the five most-read stories we’ve published so far this year:

1. Bhutanese Nepali refugee faces deportation following April detention by ICE
2. Former longtime Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center employee investigated for sexual misconduct
3. Staff discontent with leadership continues to grow at Ohio State’s Wexner Center for the Arts
4. Ohio State recruiter Kieran Duhl resigns in protest of university DEI rollback
5. Dublin Jerome High School student barred from presenting trans-centered activism project

Stories like these are part of what led the Ohio chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists to name Matter News the best general news site in the state among digital publications earlier this year.

“[Matter News] tackles complex community challenges – like policing, housing, utility inequities, food insecurity, and public art – through deeply reported, narrative-rich [stories] that elevate marginalized voices,” the judges wrote in their comments. “By rejecting advertisements-heavy models … Matter maximizes accessibility, strengthens community trust, and amplifies impact.”

And it’s true. We don’t rely on advertising to keep our site free and open to all. (Though it helps!) Owing to this, along with the realities of operating as a nonprofit, there are no larger corporate entities or special interest groups dictating who or what we write about – an independence that feels even more necessary in an era when coverage is increasingly driven by some combination of corporate interests and/or fear. Instead, we’re accountable solely to you, our readers, many of whom already help to support this work by donating $5 to $20 a month. To those of you who already donate, we want to again extend our most heartfelt gratitude. This is truly a publication that will either survive or die based on you believing it is a place worth supporting.

Now, many of you have been reading this site free for months, or even years now. And I’m thankful to have you here. But if you like Matter News and have the financial means to support it, I would appreciate it if you could take a moment now to become a paying monthly member. By doing so, you can help this place continue to grow into 2026 and beyond. 

There’s not a better time to show your support than during NewsMatch. Through the end of December, all one-time donations are matched dollar for dollar by the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), along with our generous Community Match Partners: The Johnstone Fund for New Music, Rebecca J. Perry and Ben Towle, the Wiley Family Foundation, and Melissa and Bob Ray Starker. If you sign up as a recurring monthly member, your donation will be matched 12 times. (A reminder that Matter News is registered 501(c)(3) and all donations are 100 percent tax deductible.)

We believe in keeping the news accessible, so there will never be a paywall when you visit our site. When the founders created this publication, they did so with the intent of keeping their journalism open to all. As a philosophical matter, this is a mission we will continue to embrace. As an economic matter, it is only possible when the people who can afford to pay for the journalism actually do so. 

In becoming a donor, not only are you helping to support our work, but you’re helping to preserve access to those readers who might not be able to pay for a subscription – a growing reality in these increasingly harsh economic times. Think of your donation as another small way you can help to support the wider Columbus community. 

Finally, while you’re here, we also want to take a moment to invite you to attend our campaign kick-off celebration at Seventh Son Brewing (1101 N. Fourth St.) from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 11. The event will feature music from DJ BLCKUNICORN and a short Q&A with the Matter News team, with $1 from each beverage sold going directly to support our newsroom. (Remember to mention “Matter News” at the bar.)

Beyond that, mark your calendars for a handful of fundraisers set to take place over these next couple of months, including the second Matter News Silent Art Auction at Streetlight Guild (Wednesday, Nov. 19), our inaugural Poets for Matter reading at Two Dollar Radio Headquarters (Wednesday, Dec. 10), and a pair of December fundraising concerts at Cafe Bourbon Street (Saturday, Dec. 20) and Rumba Cafe (Tuesday, Dec. 30). (Expect details on both of these soon!)

Also, watch for an announcement about Matter News merch available for purchase in the very near future.

These are undoubtedly challenging times, but I’m still as excited about what the future could hold for Matter News as I was when I first stepped into this role. Thanks as always for reading, and much more to come.

Andy Downing

Director/Editor, Matter News