Cardinal News has received funding from the Genan Foundation that will support a Bristol-based reporter. The foundation is making a $300,000 grant to Cardinal News that will be paid in three annual installments.
“The board recognizes your important work in providing nonpartisan news about Southwestern and Southside Virginia, stories that are no longer being provided by traditional media,” Andrew J. Dracopoli, president of the Genan Foundation, said in a statement. “It seems particularly appropriate that we should fund a Bristol reporter given that this is where Gene and Anne Worrell started in the newspaper business.”
From Bristol, Gene and Anne Worrell expanded Worrell Newspapers to include more than 30 newspapers across the country. They founded the Genan Foundation in 1987 to support their commitment to philanthropy.
“We are so delighted to accept this gift as we continue to build the staff of Cardinal News in order to tell the in-depth stories of our region,” said Luanne Rife, Cardinal’s executive director and chief development officer. “We founded Cardinal news to fill the void in coverage that occurred in recent years as out-of-state corporations bought up most of Virginia’s newspapers and instituted round after round of devastating cuts. We are succeeding in telling the important stories of our communities.”
Cardinal News is in the hiring process to fill this critical reporting position.
This reporting position will increase Cardinal’s reporting staff to four, double what it was when Cardinal launched in September 2021. Cardinal’s original news staff consisted of executive editor Dwayne Yancey, plus political reporter Markus Schmidt based in Richmond and business reporter Megan Schnabel based in Roanoke. In late July, Cardinal added a third reporting position — Danville-based reporter Grace Mamon. That position is funded through a grant from the Danville Regional Foundation. Cardinal News is based on public broadcasting model and is entirely supported by donors who have no say in news decisions: See our policy; see our policy.
Cardinal is seeking multi-year commitments to support additional reporting positions to cover education, health, technology in the Roanoke and New River valleys, as well as two more geographically based positions in Martinsville and Lynchburg. Cardinal News is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit. Here’s how to donate.