A new chapter for this work

Hi everyone,

Three years ago, I launched The Berkshire Argus to provide independent investigative journalism in a region that desperately needs it.

Since then, we’ve dug into government transparency, public health, the regional housing crisis, rural ambulance service, and stories about how wealth and power shape life here in ways that don’t always make it into public view.

I’m proud of the work completed so far, and deeply grateful to the readers and supporters who made it possible.

But here’s the truth: the substantial financial support needed for months-long reporting projects—the important examinations that other media cannot or will not take on—isn’t available in a small-population region at the scale required. Today’s on-the-ground reality is that nonprofit news is still evolving, donors and foundations are treading cautiously, and funding has recently shifted to support public-media outlets that lost federal funds.

It frustrating, for sure. Journalists need to eat and pay bills. (To get by, I’ve tried eating the bills, but they lack essential nutrients.)

But here’s another truth: The important stories that I’m increasingly drawn to—about economic fairness, wealth inequality and its effects, fundamental democracy issues, environmental and public-health threats, and the often-savage machinery of modern life—all stretch beyond the Berkshires. (They’ve been quietly packing their bags; it’s hard not to notice their suitcases accumulating near the door.)

And, frankly, I’ve also learned that many who support wonderful causes across the Berkshires are less inclined to fund the kind of journalism that might puncture unchallenged narratives that keep the Berkshires glowing in their imagination. As one longtime local journalist told me recently, “For a lot of people, the Berkshires is their ‘happy place.’” Hard-hitting journalism—whether a long-overdue investigation of a large institution, accountability stories that blow past frothy press releases, or reporting-backed commentary that pulls no punches—is not always a happy-place activity.

But looking underneath the glossy surface is mandatory if our communities’ futures are to be shaped by fully informed citizens. Simply looking away, or avoiding hard and complicated truths, or not asking obvious questions, is a Berkshires habit partly responsible for our region’s transformation into one that is markedly less hospitable to working families. And, arguably, the reason why transformative ideas, bold leadership, and community organizing are often missing-in-action here.

A New Chapter: Reason Gone Mad and The RGM Dispatch

So it’s time for an evolution that holds true to the mission while expanding its scope. Over the coming weeks, The Argus will make way for a new website at reasongonemad.com and a regular newsletter, The RGM Dispatch. It aims to provide a blend of investigative reporting, deep research, commentary, humor, and the kind of creative and occasionally absurdist storytelling you may remember from my former newspaper column, also called Reason Gone Mad.

The commitment to deeply reported, rigorously sourced journalism remains unchanged, but Reason Gone Mad will take on subjects and seek an audience beyond our borders. Berkshires-based investigations will continue, appearing alongside statewide and national reporting, irreverent explorations of issues and ideas, and an increased focus on urgent democracy issues.

What Happens Next

All free and paid Berkshire Argus subscriptions will carry over automatically to the new site, so there’s nothing you need to do. Those paid subscriptions of $6, $10, or $25 per month remain the primary way to support this work. And, according to one non-peer-reviewed study, they continue to be an effective way to lower cholesterol and improve heart health.

Note that beginning December 1, paid subscriptions will no longer be tax-deductible. But you can continue to make larger tax-deductible contributions that support major reporting projects through a continuing partnership with the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation, which remains our fiscal sponsor. Watch for details on an updated Support page.

Stay tuned for several in-depth stories that I’ve been working on since late summer, as well as the coming launch of the Reason Gone Mad website. That day will surely grab headlines, as the formal ribbon-cutting will take place in a new $300 million ballroom I’ve constructed next to my garage.

To everyone who has shared this work with friends, supported it financially, and provided helpful feedback that only rarely arrives in the form expletive-laden rants, thank you.

By the way, if you’ve been reading for free over the last few years, this is an ideal moment to step up and help launch The RGM Dispatch in grand style with a paid subscription or one-time donation. One thing is clear: it’s exactly this kind of journalism—that digs deep, shines light on wrongdoing, and fearlessly takes on power—that’s increasingly under threat in the United States.

Onward,
Bill

P.S. To ensure The RGM Dispatch arrives safely in your inbox—and is not diverted into Gmail’s cavernous Promotions dungeon or sucked into Outlook’s vacuum-powered Junk folder—feel free to add dispatch@reasongonemad.com to your contacts or safe-senders list.