By Sue Bass
Once upon a time, Belmont had a real newspaper. Indeed, within living memory, it had two: The Belmont Citizen (1944–1988) and the Belmont Herald (1931–1988.) By the time Henry and I moved here in 1995, the merged Citizen-Herald was an acceptable but not great source of information. Still, I seem to recall that at one time it employed an editor, a reporter, and at least one stringer who might attend Planning Board or other committee meetings.
Then it got worse, and worse, and worse. No coverage of school sports. No more police log. No more school lunch menus. By May 2022, it had no more local reporters. The last local columns vanished in September 2022. The Belmont Citizen-Herald had nothing much about Belmont.
Fortunately, an indefatigable band of volunteers aims to change that. The Belmont News Foundation incorporated on April 10 and filed on May 2 with the IRS requesting 501(c)(3) status, in the expectation that contributions would be tax-deductible.
The foundation now has pledges of more than $190,000. The goal is to raise $500,000—approximately one year’s expenses—by the fall of 2023. The group hopes to start publishing the Belmont Voice in October.
Though most people’s first assumption was that the Voice would be solely digital, consultations with other local newspapers overturned that assumption. It turns out that a primarily print newspaper, unlike a purely digital one, can gain revenue.
The Concord Bridge, less than a year old, is thick with display ads, paid legal notices, paid obituaries. Though it raised money before it started, it has barely used its nest egg.
Nevertheless, the Voice does not plan to hire staff until it can guarantee their salaries. So you can expect to be asked for startup funds and after that for an annual donation: The Voice will be supported by readers like you.
In its business plan, being circulated to possible donors, the foundation states, “We plan to mail a printed newspaper to each home and business in Belmont weekly and to maintain a website and a social media presence for breaking news and engaging content . . . A high-quality newspaper, delivered weekly to every home and business in town, will allow us to charge significantly higher rates for print advertising than for digital ads. And we believe that the physical paper itself, discovered in a neighbor’s kitchen or at a local café, will serve as a form of advertising, thereby increasing both public awareness of the paper and individuals’ interest in donating.” It’s expected that revenue from advertising, etc., will cover the costs of printing and mailing the paper; donations will be needed for staff.
By May 2022, it had no more local reporters. The last local columns vanished in September 2022. The Belmont Citizen-Herald had nothing much about Belmont.
The foundation board includes Jane Sherwin, president; Victoria Fici, treasurer; Lucia Arno-Bernson, secretary/clerk; Anne Donohue, chair of the Editorial Advisory Group; and Bob Rifkin. Along with Donohue, who has recently retired as journalism professor from Boston University, the Editorial Advisory Group includes Jane Clayson Johnson, Dick Lehr, Stephanie Leydon, Cosmo Macero, Karyn Miller-Medzon, John Rudolph, and Ben Schrekinger. For information, visit www.belmontvoice.org/contact-us.
Sue Bass is a member of the Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter Committee and a volunteer for the forthcoming the Belmont Voice.
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