A personal appeal from Beacon Editor Margaret Wolf Freivogel

The St. Louis Beacon is a labor of love.

We launched the Beacon in 2008 because we love St. Louis and because we believe St. Louisans deserve high quality reporting and thoughtful discussion. We’re committed to work that helps each of us make better decisions and that makes our region a better place.

Though it’s a sound-bite world, we trusted that St. Louisans would appreciate sustained, in-depth attention to news that matters. We were right. You, and thousands of readers like you, have embraced the Beacon’s approach.

But sustaining a labor of love costs money. As we invest our best efforts in the Beacon, please join us by investing your donation in this important work. Thanks for reading and thanks for helping us build a better future for St. Louisans.

Margie

In these difficult times for newspapers and media companies, people often ask me if I really think the Beacon can survive, let alone thrive.

I tell them the truth: The old model is dead. But I quickly add that while the revenue streams for the old model are drying up, the appetite for what the Beacon delivers—in-depth reporting and community engagement—is growing. Our challenge is to forge a new business model that can make the editorial vision possible.

Even though my background isn’t in journalism, I understand and appreciate the value and impact that quality content has on a region I care about. When the Beacon’s founders asked me to become its General Manager, I knew it was a challenge I had to take.

The Beacon’s veteran journalists focus every day on making it the best journalistic organization it can be. I focus every day on creating the best business operation possible to sustain that work.

There are no easy answers. Everybody knows how tough the economy is and the impact it’s had on news-gathering organizations. But we have learned that one way or another, a successful model will include financial support from individual members of our community—people like you, who believe in St. Louis, and who believe in the work the Beacon does every day, covering our region, engaging the community, and being a catalyst for productive dialogue.

As 2011 draws to a close, I hope you’ll consider making a donation of $10, $20, $35, $50, or whatever you can to support and sustain the St. Louis Beacon.

Thank you.

Nicole