#TeamSumter, we need you. The coronavirus crisis has put reliable local news coverage in our community in peril.

As the only local news source creating daily original content for our community and the surrounding area, we need your support to continue our mission.

Local news promotes community and local business, protects taxpayers and leads to more local political participation, and for more than 125 years, The Sumter Item has been that local, independent news source for our community.

In recent years, we’ve been recognized as one of nation’s best community news organizations, being named one of America’s “10 Newspapers That Do It Right” in 2019 and one of three national finalists for the “Mega Innovation Award for Newspapers” in 2020. We’ve been called “the David (vs. Goliath)” and “the little engine that could” in reference to our standing in the newspaper industry and our ability to survive in a world that has seen a net loss of almost 1,800 local newspapers in the U.S. since 2004.

Still, our business relies on advertising and subscribers to survive, and with our local and national economies in flux, a large advertising deficit creates a significant financial challenge during this time.

At the exact same time, our mission is perhaps more important than ever. Our digital audience has grown significantly throughout the crisis, and our newspaper, which prints five days a week, is critical to many in our area, especially those most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have made our coronavirus coverage free to the public because we believe it is the right thing to do. We have also expanded our coverage to include real-time updates from community leaders, and we’ve produced a variety of reference materials for our community.

If you believe local news and information is critical to Sumter and the surrounding communities, especially during crisis, please donate to this fund. As all local news organizations are dealing with similar financial issues surrounding COVID-19, this fund is being adopted by family-owned, independent news organizations across the nation, and we hope #TeamSumter does what it always does. Unite. Support our own in an overwhelming way to make our community stronger.

At The Sumter Item, our commitment to you is that every dollar goes toward news production. Toward covering our community during this crisis in a reliable yet dynamic way, getting you news and information you need to know. Whether you are a subscriber, a business that keeps your advertising dollars local, or, with this, someone who makes a tax-deductible donation to keep our COVID-19 news coverage going and free for everyone, we deeply value your contribution.

Contributions to this fund will help pay for news resources to cover the impact of the virus on our local communities and businesses. It will ensure we have the staff needed to bring you the latest COVID-19 news, provide information on testing sites, highlight the work our medical personnel have been called to do and more. And as always, The Sumter Item will continue to fulfill its role as a community promoter and protector throughout this pandemic.

All donations to this fund are tax deductible. Thank you for your support of The Sumter Item during this critical time.

The Sumter Item - COVID-19 Local News Fund is a program administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36‐4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association. LMF is raising funds for educational activities; specifically, to educate the public on COVID-19 issues. LMF is providing funds to this news organization and many others to support this important educational project. All money raised by this effort will go directly to support COVID-19 reporting, to make sure the public has essential facts on this important topic.