A group of six journalists who used to work at NPR affiliate WAMU and its now defunct local news site DCist are launching their own nonprofit news outlet.
It’s called The 51st and the founders say their goal is to report news that’s made by and for D.C. residents. Topics the news outlet plans to cover range from the cost of living, to holding people in power accountable and fun events around the city.
“We believe that all D.C. residents deserve a more equitable and just place to live. Our reporting will be fair, rigorous, and rooted in our conviction that journalism is meant to make people’s lives better,” The 51st said in a news release on Tuesday.
In February, 15 journalists from DCist were laid off after D.C. NPR affiliate WAMU shut down the website. WAMU was one of the radio stations that bought and revived the DCist in February 2018 after its previous owner Joe Ricketts shut it down in November 2017.
The 51st will start off as a weekly newsletter that will include an original, reported story about the District along with other news, event guides and resources.
The news outlet is led by Natalie Delgadillo, Eric Falquero, Teresa Frontado, Colleen Grablick, Abigail Higgins and Maddie Poore.
The group of former DCist journalists launched a monthlong campaign on GiveButter intending to reach $250,000, which will go to building a news organization, paying writers and editors and setting up the groundwork for its website, newsletter and community events.
It has raised more than $100,000 so far.
The 51st will have three in-person listening events to talk with community members at the following D.C. locations:
- July 20 at Ward 8 Farmers Market in Southeast — 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- July 21 at Dupont Circle Farmers Market in Northwest — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- July 28 at Eastern Market in Southeast — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“We want to build a reciprocal relationship with readers and community members, ensuring that the stories we write are useful and informative,” The 51st said.
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