Read The Jersey Bee’s 2024 annual report

Read an introduction from The Jersey Bee’s executive editor below, skip to the report, or download it here.

As many local and national news organizations face a crisis of relevance, it’s hard for us not to recognize things are going differently for The Jersey Bee.

This year, The Jersey Bee saw its most significant growth yet, expanding its service to 12 towns and cities in Essex County and adding staff to provide essential hyperlocal news and information and community programs.

We’ve set industry standards with new technology, equitable event design, community-led reporting, youth media making, civic dialogue, and reparative media strategies.

But the most meaningful part has been hearing from people who’ve made The Jersey Bee part of their life because it’s evidence that what we’re doing works.

As you’ll observe in this report, we’re building a broad, diverse movement for local news and civic engagement in the heart of Northern New Jersey by enabling public participation in civic life.

We’re more than a local news provider. We’re an information hub – a platform for people to find ways to engage with locally sourced, quality civic information that makes our community healthier.

That’s what makes us stand out. Our goal is to support a community where people are more informed, connected, and equipped with the resources they need to thrive.

At The Jersey Bee, we’re not only responding to our community’s needs; we’re building trust, inspiring civic pride, and creating a model for public service local news in the 21st century.

In 2025, we’ll deepen our impact and strengthen our service through fundraising, product developments, and new collaborations.

And we invite you to shape and support our work at this critical time. Because bees work best when they work together.

I welcome you to read about The Jersey Bee’s accomplishments in 2024 and make a donation to support our essential, community-building work here.