Man, 2019 ended up being a fantastic year. I launched The Lynchburg Times in August. After less than six short months of publishing, we’re now reaching over 5,000 readers each week … that’s huge. It helps to be located in the most famous small town in America that serves as the home of Jack Daniel’s Distillery … but we’ll take it.

I said I wouldn’t monetize The Lynchburg Times until I knew what it was and that it could reach a meaningful audience. We’ve proved that in spades. Our goal in 2020 is to keep the citizens of Lynchburg and Metro Moore County informed, so that our charming southern hamlet will never, ever become a news desert. We also want to inform the hundreds of thousands of interested folks around the globe about just what happens each week in Lynchburg. We love what we do and we want to do more of it … which takes support.

We’ll never do a pay wall. Every citizen deserves information about their community whether they can pay for it or not.

After thoughtful consideration, I decided to bypass the traditional advertising model that most newspapers have embraced for centuries. We’re interested in journalism not advertising. Instead, we will embrace the sponsorship model. Think of us as hyper local NPR, the Nashville Scene, Southern Living, and Garden & Gun all thrown into a blender and then served with a Lynchburg-flair all our own. We will exist as reader-supported journalism. Those readers come in many forms: individuals, non-profits, small businesses, and a few corporate underwriters. Together, we can make 2020 the best year yet for all of us.

If you’re a reader who enjoys what we do, a small monthly re-occurring support of as little as $5 can make all the difference. If you’re a non-profit, or southern, middle Tennessee small business, we can help you reach your fund-raising and profit goals for the new year through partnerships and special events that make the most of your brand. We’re also looking for corporations who benefit from a well-informed community to serve as underwriters.

To support us, go to www.lynchburg-times.com and make a one time or monthly contribution. To discuss non-profit, small business, and corporate opportunities, please email [email protected].

Thank you for supporting us in 2019 and we look forward to an even better 2020. Happy New Year y’all.

Tabitha Evans Moore, Editor & Publisher