It’s customary in these year-end appeals to enumerate all the things MinnPost has accomplished over the last year — and all the cool things we’re going to do in 2022. And there’s no shortage of stuff I could put on either of those lists.
But for me, it’s hard not to think of 2021 without a sense of loss. The year started with the Jan. 6 insurrection, an event that obliterated any illusions about America “coming together” after the tumult of the previous four years. It ended with the resurgence of a virus that has so far killed more than 800,000 Americans, nearly twice as many as were killed in World War II. In between came a loss that was achingly personal for us here at MinnPost: the death of longtime arts columnist Pamela Espeland.
Given all that, perhaps you’ll forgive me for bringing that same dark lens when it comes to asking you to support MinnPost. The fact is, for all the good things happening at MinnPost and in journalism today — and there certainly are good things happening on both fronts — it’s often easiest to explain the value of MinnPost by pointing out what it would mean if there is no MinnPost.
SUPPORT MINNPOSTIt would mean an end to some of the most insightful reporting in the state, on everything from politics and the environment to the arts. It would mean the loss of a critical platform for opinion writing that represents a diverse array of community voices. And it would mean the end of compelling events, innovative collaborations and, yes, some of the nerdiest stories you can find anywhere.
Most importantly, it would mean that there would be one fewer independent media outlet taking on the often unsexy but essential work so fundamental in a democratic society, the not-so-simple task of trying to make people smarter about their city, their state, their country and their fellow humans (and doing so without a reader paywall, ever).
To make sure that doesn’t happen, we need you. Reader support is the single most important factor in our ability to provide the type of in-depth coverage you’ve come to rely on — the kind of journalism that is vital to Minnesota and to the country. If you’re able, and if you value the work we do, please donate now in any amount.
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