I’ve worked in journalism for a long time, and I can’t think of a story that has been so urgent on a global, national, and local level right here in Long Beach as the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

In response to our coverage of COVID-19, we’ve gotten a lot of messages of support –  handwritten notes from residents, hundreds of new financial supporters, and comments on our social media channels.

I want to share one note we received from someone on Facebook which captures what we do in our newsroom. He wrote:

“I am very impressed by the way the Long Beach Post has pivoted during this crisis to bring diverse and interesting reporting in new formats. I see your publication in a very different light these days.”

His note kind of says it all — we’re in a new reality, looking for a return to normalcy, longing for deep reliable reporting, for connection to our community. The Long Beach Post is here for you, and we need you now more than ever too.

We need your support to continue the vital work we’re doing.

Thousands of people in our community are already financially supporting the work of our journalists. Today, we’re launching another way to directly support our coronavirus reporting, with a tax deductible benefit, too.

With the help and support of the Local Media Foundation, we have launched the Long Beach Post COVID-19 Local News Fund. It’s a way to make a tax deductible contribution to our journalism, to support the largest team of journalists in our city, to support a newsroom that has never had a paywall and never charged for access to our reporting. We believe everyone should have access to information about our community, regardless of their ability to pay – and now you can support that mission too with your tax deductible contribution to our newsroom.

Please give, as generously as you can. Thank you for your enduring support of the Long Beach Post.

David Sommers, Publisher
Long Beach Post