A letter from the editor: Please support the Bradenton Herald’s Coronavirus Reporting Fund

COVID-19 has hit hard the bottom line of many American newspapers. Advertising has plummeted, and the Bradenton Herald has not been immune to the effects.

But the newsroom staff we have today is the staff we had the night in early March when we learned that one of the first Florida cases of COVID-19 was right here in Manatee County. Since then Bradenton Herald journalists have worked tirelessly to cover this most local of local stories. You have demonstrated with your readership and viewership — and your subscriptions — that their reporting, photography and videography are essential to your community and to your families.

“We need this local info for our peace of mind and knowing what actions to take appropriate for our situation,” wrote one donor to our Coronavirus Reporting Fund.

Despite the current turmoil, the Herald is not going anywhere. We are still the best place, whether online or in print, for local businesses to advertise to reach a local audience, especially as the community begins to reopen and restart the economy. We are here for you.

And we are still the place for you to find the essential news and information you need to navigate whatever lies ahead. We are here for you.

Right now, one of our top goals is to maintain our current level of coverage, coverage you have demonstrated you need and have come to expect from us.

To do that, we need your help.

You can help us by making a tax-deductible contribution to our Coronavirus Reporting Fund. Our goal is $25,000, and as of Thursday donors had contributed more than $19,600 via givebutter.com/bradentonherald or in checks mailed to our offices.

These are funds that will help journalists at the Bradenton Herald continue to cover the COVID-19 story.

Along with a $50,000 grant from the Manatee Community Foundation, which is allowing us to keep our coronavirus coverage in front of our online paywall for the next four months, it is clear that you support YOUR newspaper.

Your support has lifted me and my staff immeasurably. Thank you!

How to donate

To donate, go to givebutter.com/bradentonherald. Or mail checks to:

Bradenton Herald Givebutter, 1111 Third Ave. W., #100, Bradenton, FL 34205.

Please make out the checks to the Local Media Foundation. And write “Bradenton Herald” in the memo line.

Marc R. Masferrer is president and editor of the Bradenton Herald. You can reach him at mmasferrer@bradenton.com.