Brother, sister, can you spare a . . .

After six months of reporting and writing, I think I've offered enough consistent, quality reporting that I can ask for contributions. I hope you agree.

By Dan DeWitt

Six months ago, when I launched NewsBeat, I promised I wouldn’t ask for money until I’d proven I could produce in-depth stories that you can’t find anywhere else. I think I’ve done that and, if you agree, you can now let me know with something other than an encouraging email (which, to be clear, I hugely appreciate).

When you click on the “subscribe” button posted at the top of this and every other NewsBeat story, you will find new options to pay $7 per month or $70 per year for a standard subscription, or up to $500 a year to become a “benefactor.” Notice I said, “up to $500.” That’s a maximum and this button allows you to donate anything less than that amount and more than $70. And that’s what you’ll be doing, donating. I can’t promise additional content for paid subscribers, because I see NewsBeat less as a business and more a community service. In the interest of providing it to as many Transylvania residents as possible, I intend for all posts to remain available to all subscribers, paid or free.

Also, just to let you know more about the business side, I now have about 1,400 free subscribers, and the platform I use, Substack, tells its writers to expect that only about 10 percent of such subscribers will agree to pay. Do the math, and you can see that this is not a big money-maker. My big goal is to generate enough income that I can quit my part-time job at the Brevard Post Office.

I’m lucky enough and cheap enough that anything beyond that would be gravy, because I also look at another number — the count of viewers for each story, which ranges between 2,000 and 4,000 and is steadily growing. This readership — considered high for a county as small as Transylvania — is greatly boosted by shares on social media, which is another sign of the site’s vitality and best way to back NewsBeat if you can’t pay. So, please, if you’re interested in what you read, punch the “share” buttons that also appear at the top of every story.

Then there is the harder-to-quantify support that comes from the emails that I referenced above and the conversations over topics I’ve written about when I stop in one of our amazing local taprooms or head out on a group bike ride. It affirms that you think thorough, fair, accurate reporting of local news is important, and that I’m providing it. That’s what has made this effort seem worthwhile, and, as I said, I hugely appreciate your engagement and encouragement.