Support The Day

The Day needs your help as we continue to deliver the news that matters, whether it be day-to-day reporting on local businesses, schools and governments or deeper dives into important topics such as the environment and evolving energy technologies.

In depth journalism takes time and resources, and we could not do it without the support of the community.

Please consider a tax deductible donation to our funds:

News Desert Fund

Communities that are no longer covered by local newspapers become "news deserts" because there are no journalists providing government oversight and access to quality information.

The Day is committed to comprehensive news coverage in every town in our circulation area, but we've had to scale back coverage in some eastern Connecticut towns due to market forces affecting local news companies around the country. Sadly, some of the communities we had covered for decades became news deserts, including the town of Ledyard. The Day had covered Ledyard for decades, but in recent years was unable to fill the town reporter position there due to budgetary constraints.

Residents of Ledyard noticed the lack of coverage during the local election cycle in 2023, but it was a potentially community-altering proposal in 2024 that exposed the stark reality of not having a reporter to follow the day-to-day business of the town. A company was proposing to build a 40-acre silica quarry by blasting away sections of Mount Decatur, a former War of 1812 military outpost, and residents were pleading with The Day to provide coverage.

First, a columnist addressed the quarry proposal in The Day and then, another devoted staffer who also serves as business editor and editor of our weekly Times newspapers, stepped in to provide coverage of a series of meetings about the project. Ultimately, it was rejected.

A resident of the town wrote: “The repeated sighting of Day articles demonstrates impact local journalism can have, working to foster transparency, accountability, and building civic engagement, strong community trust and connection, all while informing with important local content.”

Other reporters have left their own beats to cover major stories in “news desert” towns, but it’s the day-to-day interaction with officials and townspeople that makes the most impact.

We need the continued support of the communities we serve to help fund additional staffing that enables us to provide the kind of coverage our readers expect in every town in the region. Reporters are the watchdogs for the community, keeping government officials accountable by putting their work into the light. Local news keeps communities connected.

Imminent Horizons Fund

The Day is committed to providing in-depth reporting on emerging environment and energy issues that are important to our community.

In April 2024, we began a series called Imminent Horizons to investigate and localize to eastern Connecticut the issues of climate change, coastal resiliency, environmental justice and efforts to transition to new, renewable and affordable energy sources.

We produced more than 30 articles. We’ve written from the perspective of the saltmarsh sparrow, an unassuming bird that scientists say is among the first species in our area to be affected by climate change, rising sea levels and overpopulation of humans. We’ve explored the potential of emerging “clean” technologies such as mini-nuclear power plants and heat pumps and chronicled the wind industry from the perspective of local fishermen and electricity consumers.

We’ve provided information on mitigating coastal flooding, containing rising energy costs and high insurance rates. With every story, we’ve looked to present actionable solutions, such as encouraging plantings that nurture endangered, life-giving pollinators and eradicating destructive invasive plants and avoiding tick-borne diseases.

We need the continued support of the communities we serve to help fund additional staffing and resources necessary to conduct in-depth reporting into these vital issues.

The Day’s News Desert project seeks to hire a journalist to help us reach new audiences and inform the public on important community issues. Donations to Local Media Foundation for this project are tax-deductible to the extent of the law. No goods or services are provided in exchange for contributions. Please consult a tax advisor for details. The program is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36‐4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association.

The Day's Imminent Horizons Fund will tackle topics critical to southeastern Connecticut, such as rising temperatures, rising sea levels, climate justice, and efforts to transition to new, renewable, and affordable energy sources. Donations to Local Media Foundation for this project are tax-deductible to the extent of the law. No goods or services are provided in exchange for contributions. Please consult a tax advisor for details. The program is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36‐4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association.

The Day's Community Journalism Funds

Support the Imminent Horizons and News Desert Funds