J425's Urgent Need: Replace Stolen Gear

Thanks for considering the urgent fundraising appeal by The Journal 425 (J425), an independent, reader-supported online newspaper in Snohomish County, Washington, led by award-winning publisher Kevin Thomas Hulten.

The urgent campaign seeks to offset uninsured losses stemming from the theft and severe damage of Hulten's car, which not only contained all of J425’s photography, videography, sound and editing technology — but was later used by thieves in an attempted murder of a police officer, leading to investigative delays in support of that case. **The car was stolen from inside Hulten’s residential garage.

The incident resulted in a catastrophic loss of critical journalistic equipment, technology, personal items, and documents. J425, recognized for its impactful investigative reporting on topics like "Predators in Public Schools" and local sports, is seeking support through GoFundMe, new subscriptions, and title sponsorships to continue its mission of filling the local news void. J425 is differentiated by the fact that it is the only news source in an area consumed by the news desert. As other outlets die, J425 has grown and is marked by its significant local reach and engaged, youthful audience and world-class investigative reporting. Readers emphasize the value its journalism brings to the community.

J425 has published over 1,500 original articles since 2021, free of advertising, almost all of which were offered free of charge.

For the first time, J425 is asking its community for support in surviving this catastrophic crime. J425 will use funds to first replace vital journalism equipment and documents and to repair damage to the publisher’s transportation.