I’m Ben Schachtman, WHQR news director, journalist, and host of The Newsroom.
One of the things I love about hosting this show — in fact, I think my favorite thing — is that we have space to really unpack complicated stories: to provide context, to explore nuance, explain controversy, to get to the bottom of things — and maybe even find solutions.
You know the arguments you see in the comment section on a Facebook post, where people have clearly not read the article? Well, we strive to be the polar opposite of that.
And over the last year and a half, we’ve tackled some thorny issues: Covid misinformation, a humanitarian crisis at the Wilmington Housing Authority, a toxic workplace at Cape Fear Community College, the anti-democratic practices of local governments that try to avoid transparency.
These are tough stories. Tough, complicated stories.
At other news outlets, we might not have the time, or the resources, or the skillset to cover these stories — not the right way, not in-depth, not the way they deserve to be told.
But here, in the WHQR newsroom, we are able to do that. We do have the time. We do have the resources. And we do have talented journalists. And the most amazing part is that we’re able to make all of this reporting available, for free: no subscriptions, no pay-walls, it’s free to read and listen, online, on the air, and in your podcast feeds.
And that’s because of you. WHQR doesn’t have a corporate parent. We’re not part of a university system. Our support comes directly from the community — and most of all, from our listeners.
From you.
So whether you’ve only caught a few episodes, or follow the podcast for each new release, I thank you — and the news team thanks you. Because they’re only able to do what they do, because of your support.
And so I’m asking you: if this you’re listening to this, if you value real journalism, if you know — like our news team knows — that there are tough, complicated stories out there that need to be told, then I hope you’ll consider supporting WHQR.
To make a one-time pledge of support, or to become a sustaining member, head to our donation page.
Thank you. And stay tuned…
