The Charlotte News is a Nonprofit Community Newspaper
Mission Statement
The mission of The Charlotte News is to engage and inform Charlotte and nearby communities by:
- Publishing rigorous, in-depth reporting on town affairs.
- Providing a home for stories from our neighbors and friends.
- Reporting on how other towns have addressed challenges similar to our own.
Please consider making a contribution to keep The Charlotte News sustainable, free and available to all. Charitable gifts make up most of our annual budget. We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributes. Every gift makes a difference. Thank you.
If you’d prefer to donate by check, please make it out to The Charlotte News and mail to:
The Charlotte News
P.O. Box 251
Charlotte, VT 05445
The Charlotte News is a 501(c)3 organization. Federal tax number: 85-4018256.
More than 150 people provide photos, stories and news tips to The Charlotte News every year. You can too.
To pitch your picture or story now, email or contact us
The Charlotte News is delivered at no cost to all Charlotte residences.
Subscriptions are available for first-class delivery at $60 per calendar year.
Editorial Independence
The editor makes final decisions on the stories that are published in The Charlotte News. While we are funded by advertising revenue and donor contributions, our news judgments are made in accordance with our mission and are independent of all sources of financial support.
Code of Ethics
The News has adopted the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics as the touchstone to guide newsroom practices. The Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics is built on four principles:
- seek truth and report it
- minimize harm
- act independently
- be accountable and transparent.
Disclaimer
Individuals associated with The Charlotte News may engage in public discussion on issues in Charlotte, including at selectboard and other Town meetings, and on Front Porch Forum. They may also work or volunteer for organizations in Charlotte, including private businesses, the Town government, and nonprofits. When engaging in public discussions, they are expressing personal or organizational views and not necessarily the views of The Charlotte News, its staff, board of directors, or volunteers. Individuals who write opinion pieces for the paper will have their role at The Charlotte News identified, and the piece will be clearly labeled as their personal commentary.
Our Strategic Plan
Adopted by the board in November 2022, our strategic plan provides a framework for our decision-making and establishes priorities for the next five years.
Letters, Opinions and Obituaries
Consistent with our mission The Charlotte News publishes letters to the editor, opinion pieces and obituaries submitted by our readers. All such materials are subject to review and approval by the editor in accordance with the following standards and requirements:
- The views expressed in letters or opinion pieces are those of the author and are not endorsed by either the board or the editorial staff of the paper. Opinion pieces and letters to the editor will be clearly labeled as such.
- The Charlotte News strives to stay clear of conflicts of interest. If an actual or perceived conflict arises or becomes known at a later date, it will be fully disclosed.
- While letters or opinion pieces may endorse political positions or candidates for public office, the paper always remains objective and impartial in such matters.
- All submissions are strictly monitored for personal attacks, score-settling, blatantly false information and inflammatory language. The editor reserves the right to reject any submission that is deemed contrary to the paper’s standards.
- All submissions are subject to editing for clarity, factual accuracy, tone, length and consistency with our publishing style.
- Efforts will be made to publish submissions in their entirety and to preserve the original intent and wording, but minor editing may nonetheless be necessary. Contributors will be notified before publishing, if in the editor’s judgment, significant changes are required, or the submission is rejected.
- Submission requirements:
- Letters to the editor, opinions and obituaries should be emailed as attachments in .doc format and must contain the writer’s full name, town of residence and, for editing purposes only, contact phone number.
- Letters may not exceed 300 words, obituaries 500 words and opinion pieces 750 words.
- All published letters and opinion pieces will include the writer’s name and town of residence.
- Before publishing any obituary, we will need proper verification of death.
The Board
Click the images to learn more about our team.
Board Members
Peter Joslin,
Susan McCullough,
Julia Russell, Dave Speidel,
Andrew Zehner, John Hammer (emeritus),
Vince Crockenberg (emeritus)
