You Can Help Keep The Blue Hog Biting
At The Heels Of The Powerful And The Unchecked in 2025!

Dear Reader:

Last week, the Republican-controlled US House passed a bill that will allow the incoming Trump administration to remove the tax exempt status of any non-profit news organizations the administration decides “supports terrorism”. Just about any news organization that criticizes Israel’s behavior in Gaza could be targeted.

Then we have the law in Arkansas (and 35 other states) that denies state advertising to the Arkansas Times and other local companies if they refuse to sign a pledge to support Israel.

We refused to sign on 1st Amendment grounds and lost the advertising.

Despite that loss, we have grown the size of our newsroom from five to 12 local reporters over the past three years.  Donations, along with on-line subscriptions and local advertising have created a new life saving revenue stream that has replaced the lost state advertising. 

Generous donors provided the funds to hire Blue Hog Matt Campbell last year and give him a home base to do his important work as  the state’s No. 1 investigative journalist.  He’s been rattling cages ever since he arrived. 

C ampbell made a name for himself by exposing the skulduggery of Arkansas elected officials including former Circuit Judge Mike Maggio ( bribes ) and former Lt. Gov. Mark Darr ( misuse of state credit cards ). Famously, Campbell combined his government transparency law know-how with disciplined and determined digging to unearth a $19,029.25 invoice at the center of Gov. Sarah Sanders’ “podiumgate” scandal.

Just last week, Campbell reminded readers they are still paying $184,000 a year to Gov. Sanders’ failed and fired former prisons chief Joe Profiri for  a job that doesn’t exist .  Nobody understands Profiri and the behavior that led to his firing better than the Blue Hog.

Skilled journalists like Matt are what make the Arkansas Times a strong, progressive voice, unafraid to speak up for the disenfranchised and the silenced in Arkansas 

I’m writing today asking for your help to keep the Blue Hog and  the Arkansas Times strong and effective in the face of the unbroken Trumpist rule stretching from the Arkansas state Capitol all the way to Washington. D.C. 

With FaceBook and Google sucking up 70% of the local ad dollars that used to go to local  newspapers, the old business model for local news is broken.  But the new model combining advertising with subscribers and donors , is allowing local news publishers like the Arkansas Times to grow strong and healthy. In the past three years, our subscribers have increased their support (we’re at 4,574 strong now) and donors have contributed over $300k this year. As a direct result, our website - arktimes.com - receives an average of over 500,000 unique visitors a month.

There are many ways you can help. You can encourage your friends and fellow progressives to subscribe to Arkansas Times. You can increase your monthly subscription amount to $15-25-50. You can give a donation to our editorial fund. Or you can give a donation to fund Matt’s salary directly. Whatever is best for you. 

In our 50th anniversary year, I’m proud to say that the Arkansas Times is as strong as it's ever been. We’re more committed than ever to telling the truth about this strange time in our state and nation’s history and can with your support.

Thank you. 

Yours,

Alan Leveritt 

Publisher,  Arkansas Times

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