Salem Reporter launches 27 for 2027 fund drive to add journalists

Funding Local Watchdogs: Salem Reporter Launches Year-End Push for 2027

Local journalism does not happen by accident. It takes late nights, fought-over public records requests, and a relentless commitment to holding institutions accountable when nobody else is looking.

That is the reality facing newsrooms across the country, and it is the exact challenge driving a new fundraising effort in Oregon’s capital. Salem Reporter launched its year-end fund drive dubbed “27 for 2027,” aiming to raise $27,000 by Jan. 1 through tax-deductible contributions to the Salem Reporter News Fund. Founder and editor Les Zaitz stated that hitting the target will allow the newsroom to add two more journalists to its staff in the new year, expanding both reporting muscle and direct community engagement.

The push comes on the heels of a year for the publication. In 2026, Salem Reporter established an education team with Eddy Binford-Ross and Kent Friel through a partnership with the national nonprofit Report for America. Instead of merely transcribing school board talking points, the team dug into academic performance data, evaluated historical school closures, and analyzed district staffing shifts as enrollment figures dropped.

Beyond the Meeting Rooms: Tracking Data Centers and Housing

Readers funding local watchdog journalism often want to know where their dollars actually go. In Salem, that investment translated into investigative depth.

Salem Reporter launches 27 for 2027 fund drive to add journalists

Reporter Joe Siess dug into Verrus and its plans for a data center in Salem, scrutinizing a nondisclosure agreement used by the city and tracking a land deal with the state that was axed by Gov. Tina Kotek. Meanwhile, reporters Abbey McDonald and Madeleine Moore focused on the community’s work on homelessness, shadowing mobile teams launched by the city and county and spending hours in camps talking to those living in tents.

On the healthcare beat, reporter Hailey Cook provided coverage of the merger between Salem Health and the Stayton-based hospital. Her work earned her a national fellowship, traveling to Washington, D.C., for advanced training on healthcare reporting. In Keizer, reporter Krista Kroiss tracked local government, reporting on how the city-run events center is deep in the red.

Fighting Secrecy in the Public Square

Independent reporting inevitably creates friction with public officials who prefer quiet operations. When government agencies push back against transparency, the financial cost of seeking the truth climbs rapidly.

Salem Reporter did not back down when faced with delayed public records or resistance. The newsroom took the step of filing a lawsuit against Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell to secure records regarding pressure on law enforcement and judges after her daughter was cited for traffic infractions. That lawsuit remains active.

Behind the scenes, the publication underwent a shift. Selected as one of 20 newsrooms in the U.S. to participate in a management program, the outlet refined its business operations, moving toward a professional enterprise.

The upcoming year brings fresh challenges, particularly regarding issues like homelessness and local governance. Whether the community can bridge the gap to fund two additional staff members depends on the response to the “27 for 2027” campaign before the Jan. 1 deadline.