State House event shares report on Vt. news ecosystem & journalism awards
February 10, 2026 | By Waterbury Roundabout
Kristen Fountain with the Vermont Journalism Coalition (center) speaks. Behind her left to right are: Vermont Community Foundation President and CEO Dan Smith, Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas, state Sen. Andrew Perchlik, and Valley Reporter editor Lisa Loomis. Photo by Gordon Miller
Leaders from a newly formed journalism organization in Vermont, the Vermont Community Foundation, and state government gathered for a press conference last week at the Vermont State House to share a recent report on the state of Vermont’s news media landscape and mark the inaugural round of Local Civic Journalism Awards to more than a dozen news organizations.
Washington County state Sen. Andrew Perchlik and Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas joined Kristen Fountain, coordinator of the new Vermont Journalism Coalition, and Vermont Community Foundation President and CEO Dan Smith.
Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas speaks. Photo by Gordon Miller
They discussed some of the findings in a recently completed Vermont News & Information Ecosystem Report commissioned by the community foundation’s Press Forward initiative to assess the state of local news in Vermont and look for opportunities to strengthen news access and newsroom sustainability, and support local media coordination statewide.
Some key findings from the report include:
Vermont has more than 60 news and information providers statewide, with 80% of locally owned and operated, providing the foundation for local reporting that serves most communities.
Newsrooms are operating with limited staff and capacity while adjusting to rapidly changing models for news distribution and consumption. This is challenging the long-term sustainability of local newsrooms and making their future uncertain.
A strong majority (92%) of Vermonters who participated in surveys, interviews and focus groups agree that local news should be available to everyone and (70%) believe a well-informed community benefits everyone.
Access barriers for many Vermonters persist, including cost, format and language access.
Youth, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants and refugees, say they do not consistently see their experiences or the things that matter to them reflected in local coverage.
The path to a strong local news ecosystem includes mobilizing public and private funding, deepening collaboration among news outlets, and empowering communities to work with and support their local news providers.
“This report accurately reflects the vibrancy and precarity of Vermont’s local news producers, including the ones being honored for their work with a Local Civic Journalism Award today,” Fountain said. “It’s remarkable that so many small local news outlets continue to operate in our state. That’s because the people who work there share a deep commitment to continue being part of the fabric of their communities. More than 40 organizations have joined the Vermont Journalism Coalition because we know that collaboration makes us stronger as we face the challenges ahead.”
The journalism coalition includes a mixture of for-profit and nonprofit print newspapers, online news outlets and television and radio broadcasters.
Smith from the community foundation noted that local news helps Vermonters stay connected to their communities and to one another. The findings in the Press Forward Vermont: News & Information Ecosystem Report dig into details that highlight the strengths of Vermont’s news ecosystem and the challenges it faces, he said.
“Sharing these findings alongside public and private partners reflects a shared commitment to sustaining local journalism as a vital part of civic life across the state,” Smith said.
Perchlik and Copeland Hanzas spoke about the recent Local Civic Journalism Awards announced in November. The awards provided the first round of grants totalling $100,000 to 16 Vermont print, online and broadcast media outlets. The aim of the awards was to steer public support and interest toward fact-based media outlets that focus on local news. Perchlik secured $50,000 in funding from the state’s fiscal year 2026 budget, which was matched with $50,000 by Press Forward. The Secretary of State’s office administered the awards.
Local news editors and publishers (left to right): Cassandra Hemenway of the Montpelier Bridge, Lisa Loomis of the Valley Reporter, Tommy Gardner of the Vermont Community News Group (Stowe Reporter), and Lisa Scagliotti, Waterbury Roundabout. Photo by Gordon Miller
Waterbury Roundabout was one of four news outlets to receive an award of $10,000. Another dozen news organizations received $5,000 awards, including the Valley Reporter, the Vermont Community News Group, which publishes the Stowe Reporter, and Radio Vermont Group, which runs WDEV radio stations.
Perchlik spoke to the need to support independent local journalism. “We are seeing across our nation and world the collapse of decency, democracy and dedication to facts that follows the loss of local, professional, and independent journalism,” Perchlik said. “We can't let that happen here. Vermont needs to cherish and support our strong civic connections, and building a thriving, local fact-based network of news outlets (radio, print, TV, digital, etc.) is the best way to do so.”
The Secretary of State’s office in January 2025 released a 40-page Civic Health Index report that contains information on Vermonters’ media trust and access. One of its key findings is that Vermont ranks second in the nation for the number of people who report they frequently read, watch or listen to news or information about political, societal or local issues; 78.9% of Vermonters report they do this frequently compared to 67.6% of the national average, according to the report.
Copeland Hanzas said highlighting the role and importance of local news fits in with her office’s priority of bolstering Vermonters’ civic engagement. “A robust network of independent local journalism is crucial to that effort,” she said. “In order to get involved, we need access to information about what’s going on in our communities and the actions of our leaders. The local and regional media outlets we recognized today with these local civic journalism awards are essential to Vermont’s civic health, and we need to ensure their sustained vitality.”
The event was livestreamed by ORCA Media. A recording can be viewed here.
Waterbury Roundabout editor Lisa Scagliotti is a member of the board of directors of the Vermont Journalism Coalition.
