Vermont Public

VTDigger has expanded its statewide news partnership by collaborating with four southern Vermont newspapers: Bennington Banner, Manchester Journal, Brattleboro Reformer, and Mountain Times. This brings the total number of community news sharing partners to 21, allowing mutual content sharing to support local journalism and provide broader coverage.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is criticized for failing to represent Vermonters, using public funds for a greenwashing campaign on Vermont Public, and prioritizing image management over addressing wildlife threats. The letter alleges mismanagement, lack of staff diversity, and neglect of public interests by the department and state leadership.

Neil Ryan, a Vermont farmer, criticizes local media outlets like Vermont Public, VTDigger, and Seven Days for underrepresenting rural grassroots movements and overemphasizing institutional environmental interests. He argues that coverage of Act 181, a land-use law, and related issues like farmland affordability is biased toward corporate and nonprofit stakeholders, neglecting rural perspectives and ecological benefits of managed landscapes.