I never thought I’d have to do this.

I’m old school and truly believe a newspaper has a four-pronged responsibility to the communities it serves: to inform, educate, protect and entertain.

It’s never about us — nor should it be. 

It’s about the people and places in those communities.

Their experiences.

Their lives.

Their stories.

Well, that’s all changed.

I have been blessed beyond any possible expectations I had when I purchased The Jamestown Press 4.5 years ago. This community’s support and connection to this paper is something I hadn’t seen in a long time in a well-traveled and myriad journalism career spanning 30 years and 10 stops along the way.

That support and generosity expands to all aspects of life here on the island. I’ve never lived anywhere with such a strong sense of community spirit, involvement and genuine concern. For me, being a part of this town — and all it has to offer, especially some of the people with whom I’ve developed close bonds — is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

It’s a unique, special bond that makes it a joy to come here everyday. That feeling is magnified by the hard-working, dedicated (and mostly local) staff here at the paper.

This community — and I — are fortunate to have them.

The coronavirus has impacted all of us in many ways — from topsy-turvy schedules to reduced or lost jobs to businesses being closed for months to now dealing with the uncertainty of how we move forward.

I understand my fellow business owners are hurting, and I’m extraordinarily grateful to those who have been able to maintain their advertising with us. That sole source of revenue is what allows us to mail a free copy of the paper to you every week. Unfortunately, it’s no longer enough.

So, I’m turning to you — our faithful readers.

The New England Press Association Scholarship Fund, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, created the Local Community News Fund of New England and this fund-raising portal to allow tax deductible donations to support your local newspaper.

Through the end of 2020, we are participating in this effort with a goal of raising at least $50,000 to help us be able to maintain The Jamestown Press in its current form.

More information on how to participate in this voluntary subscription drive can be found inside the pages of the paper.

Since we all are in this together, for every $100 donated to this fundraiser, we will provide a $20 chamber check to the contributor for their use so other businesses in town also can benefit from this effort. 

The more we all can do for one another, the easier it will be for all of us to alleviate the uncertainty of how we move forward together.

Sincerely,

Robert Berczuk
Publisher, The Jamestown Press