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Baltimore Brew Has Teamed Up With<\/h2>\n
Now we So far, we\u2019ve kept the Brew<\/i>![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/www.assets.baltimorebrew.com\/images\/_s\/kickstarter_banner.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTo raise funds to bring you more of the accountability reporting, smart commentary and lively culture you\u2019ve been missing in Baltimore – until the Brew came around!<\/h3>\n
About this project<\/h3>\n
\nfearless online reporting of the politics, culture and incredibly diverse
\ncommunities of the city that inspired H.L. Mencken, John Waters and the
\ncreators of \u201cThe Wire.\u201d<\/div>\n
\nknow, is a daily news website <\/b>that gets behind development deals, tracks<\/a>
\ncampaign cash, features<\/a> outsider artists and offers gazpacho recipes with equal
\nverve. We\u2019ve become a municipal must-read.\n<\/div>\n
\nreporter Fern Shen launched the Brew<\/i> a few years ago, the site has won plaudits
\nfrom publications ranging from the Baltimore City Paper<\/i>, which named it the
\nbest local on-line news site three years in a row, to the New York Times<\/i>, which
\ncalls it \u201ca reason for cheer.\u201d<\/div>\n
\ninvestigative reporter Mark Reutter, working with a team of more than a dozen
\nother volunteers, have built a dedicated corps of 25,000 regular readers by:<\/div>\n\n
\nvoiceless <\/b>through coverage of the workers
\nat the Sparrows Point steel mill and residents of impoverished neighborhoods in
\none of America\u2019s poorest cities.\n<\/li>\n
\ncity and other officials accountable<\/b> by reporting on deals with favored
\ncontractors, tax breaks for big political contributors and regulatory
\nconcessions to major industries.\n<\/li>\n
\nforum for city planners and visionaries to re-imagine Baltimore<\/b>, helping ensure
\nthat in the future it can provide the jobs and neighborhoods its residents need
\n\u2013 without resorting to tax gimmicks and giveaways.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nwant to expand the Brew\u2019s<\/i> coverage of the city\u2019s spending practices and tax
\nbreaks, to make sure Baltimore uses its scarce resources for programs that
\nbenefit its people and not the politically-connected. And we want to make the Brew<\/i>
\nsustainable by tapping new income streams and eventually paying salaries.
\nWe plan to do this by:<\/p>\n\n
\ncoverage to include online video and podcasts<\/b>.\n<\/li>\n
\nmore interactive features <\/b>with readers.\n<\/li>\n
\nspecial food, culture and lifestyle<\/b> pages.\n<\/li>\n
\nschool and neighborhood<\/b> coverage.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\npercolating with tens of thousands of dollars\u2019 worth of donated time. With
\na bare-bones budget, we\u2019ve broken stories, shaped the civic conversation and
\nmodeled a new kind of local media.<\/p>\n
\nrecently hired Meredith Mitchell as our business development manager, as part
\nof an effort to create a steady stream of income for the Brew<\/i>.<\/div>\n
\ngrowing family of Brew<\/i> readers, as well as supporters of quality community
\njournalism around the country, to help out as well \u2013 by dropping a generous
\ndonation into our Kickstarter tip jar.<\/div>\n