Behind the scenes at PublicSource.

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Dear Reader,

You’re getting this email because you already love local journalism. You care about it. You know how important it is to stay informed on issues like affordable housing, police accountability and the COVID-19 pandemic. You see the hard work of our dedicated journalists every day — the countless hours they spend crafting compelling, important stories about the Pittsburgh region. But you’re also seeing something else. Something that, if done well, you hopefully don’t notice.

Editing.

What on earth is editing? Sure, it’s the art of the comma. The art of cutting extraneous words. Of crafting a story. It’s all that. But at PublicSource, it’s something much more fulfilling. As assistant editor, I get to work with everybody in our newsroom on the projects they’re most excited about. We brainstorm. We collaborate. And sure, we fuss over words. But at the end of it, we hopefully have a story that is both stronger than its initial draft and true to the reporter’s vision.

Lately, for instance, I’ve been working with Juliette Rihl on a really important series she’s writing on mental health issues at Allegheny County Jail. The work is all hers. She’s developed more than a dozen sources who can speak from direct experience on the problems they’ve seen, she’s been analyzing records and she’s crafting pieces that take you into an environment that’s by definition closed off. So what do I do? Moral support. Guidance on sourcing and story structure to ensure that the story is both vivid and thoroughly, fairly reported. That process includes things like brainstorming how to reach former employees willing to speak candidly about the jail’s conditions, or how to obtain documents that root the storytelling in clear fact. If I do a good job, I’ve given the reporter the support they need to take their stories to the next level.

You won’t see much of what I do day-to-day — but part of what makes my job a joy is that I get a firsthand, behind-the-scenes look at how the hard work pays off across our whole team. I also work with our fact-checkers to ensure the accuracy of everything that we publish. And I hope you’ll support that work. We can’t produce the stories that you rely on without support from readers like you. We’re grateful for contributions at every level. I can’t wait for you to see what we’re planning for 2021.

Right now, your gift can be matched, but the chance to double your impact ends at midnight on Dec. 31. You’re one of our most loyal readers, and so we’re asking you, if you’re able, to make a gift of any amount to support our work as we head into the new year.

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Thank you for your readership and support.

—Jeff

Jeffrey Benzing
Assistant Editor
PublicSource
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