Monthly Journalism Club launches at new Williston bookstore
September 3, 2026 | By Waterbury Roundabout
Wild Meadows independent bookstore and cafe is in Williston on Market Street near LLBean in the Taft Corners shopping area. Courtesy photo
A new monthly group to discuss stories in the news in Vermont begins in October at a new independent bookstore and café in Williston.
Billed as something similar to a book club, reporters and readers will have a chance to gather for Journalism Club to discuss timely, notable stories in the news.
The group will meet at 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month, starting Oct. 1, at Wild Meadows Books & Café at Taft Corners in Williston. Its sponsors are the bookshop, the Wiliston Observer local newspaper, and the Vermont Journalism Coalition, a trade organization of Vermont print, digital and broadcast news outlets, including the Waterbury Roundabout.
Organizers say the idea for the get-togethers was inspired by Article Club, which was created earlier this year by a Tampa Bay Times reporter seeking to initiate conversations about journalism in her community in Florida.
For the Vermont version, organizers will select and circulate a news story or two ahead of each meeting, and participants will be asked to read, listen to or view them in advance. Journalists who reported the stories will be invited to discuss the process and answer questions from participants. Longtime Vermont journalist Paul Heintz, who now covers Vermont and the northern border for the Boston Globe, will moderate Journalism Club each month at Wild Meadows.
The inaugural event will focus on local coverage of the March 11 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid in South Burlington that led to violent clashes between law enforcement and protesters. Local and state police later released more than 100 hours of body camera footage recorded that day, providing journalists with an unusual amount of firsthand documentation — an opportunity and a challenge.
The conversation will center around two news stories based on that footage:
From Seven Days: Bodycam from ICE raid shows local chief caught in the middle
From Vermont Public: No exit: Inside a botched ICE raid in Vermont
Seven Days reporter Lucy Tomkins and Vermont Public reporter Liam Elder-Connors will join the Oct. 1 event to discuss their stories.
Williston Observer newspaper owners Susan and Rick Cote, who opened Wild Meadows this summer, said they are excited to bring community members together to discuss the essential work that reporters do in Vermont.
“Local journalism is a cornerstone for a healthy democracy,” Susan Cote said. “Journalism Club will create a space for dialogue about issues important to our community and offer a fascinating look at what it takes to report impactful and honest news.”
The Vermont Journalism Coalition, which represents more than 40 news outlets, is eager to help replicate such events in other parts of the state, according to Executive Director Kristen Fountain. “Journalists are unearthing interesting and important stories all over Vermont,” Fountain said. “We think regional Journalism Club chapters would be a great way for communities to connect with them and their work.”
Wild Meadows is located at 27 Market Street in Williston. RSVPs are appreciated but not required. This event is free. The cafe at the bookstore has food and beverages for purchase.