Graham Moomaw: Why I do what I do

Here is the first in a series of profiles to introduce you to the people behind The Richmonder:

I’m Graham Moomaw, and I signed on to be a reporter at The Richmonder because the decline of local news is a crisis for the civic health of American cities and I wanted to help do something about it.

One of my favorite journalism-related quotes is the playwright Arthur Miller’s description of a good newspaper as “a nation talking to itself.” In our context, good local journalism is a city talking to itself. And as that conversation weakens, so does the connective tissue that makes a community a community.

I believe every Richmond resident should have the ability to follow what their mayor and city council are doing on their behalf. Decisions at the local level often affect day-to-day life in a more direct way than votes at the statehouse or in Washington. 

And for anyone exhausted by the toxicity of red vs. blue politics, refocusing on what’s happening in our own community can be a refreshing reminder that making a difference starts at the local level.

My wife and I have been part of the Richmond community for more than a decade. We are raising our three small children in Stratford Hills, south of the James.

You may have noticed that Graham is on a roll. He worked over the weekend for a scoop that the city’s top executive officer will leave at the end of the year. And today, Graham proved the journalistic truism that there is no substitute for showing up. Graham was in the room last month when a non-agenda item came before the Planning Commission last month. This led to an exclusive about neighbors upset about a VMFA plan to shoehorn a 12,000-square-foot storage facility into their alley.

Today, I’m asking you to become more than a Richmonder reader.

Become a donor.

Your support will help ensure that Graham continues to ply the city hall beat. And as our support grows, The Richmonder can hire more full-time reporters to work alongside Graham and Sarah Vogelsong.

We make it easy to join with the nearly 600 readers who have made the decision to invest in our efforts to enlighten and connect the community.

Click on a button below and commit to an amount that fits your budget, and know you’ve done your part to foster what Graham would describe as Richmonders talking to themselves. 

Thank you for reading The Richmonder and for your willingness to step forward and help make our work possible.

Regards,

David M. Poole
Development Director

PS – If you would prefer to make a one-time donation, you can select your preferred amount. The suggested annual amount is $120, but gifts of any size – large or small – are appreciated. You can double your impact by giving today. The first $1,000 of any donation will be matched through a challenge grant from the Institute for Nonprofit News. Thank you.