Saving Professional Local News Coverage in Southern Illinois

The Swinford Media Group was founded in 2018 to continue professional, small-town journalism in Southern Illinois. We cover Williamson County, Illinois, with three publications – The Marion Star, Herrin Independent and Carterville Courier – and the broader region through WFCN News and our other social media pages. While we are often told we cover this region with professional journalism better than anyone else, our unique struggle comes with monetizing that work in an era where newspaper print advertising is increasingly unpopular due to the "free" marketing available to businesses through Facebook and other channels. Our employees work way beyond their compensation and have often volunteered to hold paychecks for the sake of paying press bills and other obligations. We also are determined to distribute the news freely to a wide audience, much of which is on a fixed income and struggling to make ends meet themselves. We are seeking Star Supporters we can place on a roster of individuals or businesses that make one-time or regular contributions to our effort, for as little as $20. Those donating $500 or more will be considered Star Patrons and be offered special access to content and events only shared with patrons, and those donating $5,000 or more will be labeled Star Partners and join a group of friends of Swinford Media Group who undergird everything we do.