We don’t have to tell you that local journalism in Rochester and beyond was under assault before the coronavirus pandemic.

Between 2008 and 2018, nearly half of all newsroom jobs across the country disappeared, and the cuts have only gotten deeper. Tech titans plundered newsrooms’ traditional revenue streams and did little to replace the local news coverage knocked out in the process.

Now, though, the coronavirus has us on the ropes. Just as the health crisis has brought economies around the world to their knees, so too has it severely hobbled our work at CITY.

In a matter of days, the pathogen has wiped out months of expected revenue from advertising and events tied to what we do best — keeping you informed and our community connected.

Prior to the current crisis, many of you who value what we do and recognized the hardship facing local journalism asked how you could help CITY stay vibrant, locally-owned, and free. Aside from reading and supporting our advertisers, who are struggling right along with us, you can become a CITY Champion with a one-time or recurring donation. 

Since 1971, CITY has kept the powers that be in our community on their toes while highlighting the very best of our arts and cultural scenes. Our thoughtful attention to and participation in the workings of our core institutions, and the people who make us what we are, has shaped public life in ways both large and small.



We believe that a community without journalism that aggressively questions authority, fights for its most vulnerable residents, and celebrates what makes it unique, can lose its way.

That’s why we’re still fighting the good fight. But every fighter needs a team. We need you. 

We had planned to roll out our CITY Champions initiative in the coming weeks. But the pandemic sucker punched us and we had to punch back by accelerating our timeline.

If you value CITY’s voice, we invite you to get in our corner and become a CITY Champion. You can donate as much or as little as you want. CITY has always been free, and will continue to be, in print and online. But it isn’t free to produce.

Think of your support as a voluntary subscription. Along with our undying gratitude and that warm fuzzy you’ll get for supporting journalism that covers local news, arts, dining, and entertainment at a critical time you’ll be eligible to receive cool swag, invitations to CITY events, and more.

Together, we’ll keep CITY free, our community connected, and you in the know. Thank you for your support.