Virginia Capitol Connections, 2025 Annual Magazine 35 Virginia Online News By KAITLYN NANZ In the era of misinformation, propaganda, and disreputable news sources Virginia has a small number of dedicated outlets and reporters who strive to provide Virginians with information relevant to politics, current events, and miscellaneous topics, from the weather to sports to pop culture. Most of these organizations were started by individuals passionate about Virginia politics and history, who were fed up with the current news model of corporate soullessness. They are run by small teams, with some having rosters of more than twenty and others operating as one-person shows. These outlets span the political spectrum, and many rely on donations and subscriptions rather than being run by large entities, although some are subsidiaries of larger organizations such as Courier and Cox. Some of these news outlets are dedicated to specific missions, such as providing information and representation for particular groups or regions. For example, Cardinal News focuses on serving Southwest and Southside Virginia. Others, like Black Virginia News, exist to serve the Black community and to “piece together what is deemed as unimportant by legacy media.” Black Virginia News is Black-owned and Black-controlled, reflecting the mission of many of these outlets: to give a voice to those who feel as if they don’t have one. Other Virginia focused news outlets include Virginia Mercury, with five journalists; The Richmonder, with five reporters; Axios Richmond; and Virginia Scope and Virginia Free, both of which are one-man operations headed by Brandon Jarvis and Chris Saxman, respectively. Cardinal News, founded in 2021, was created after members of The Roanoke Times became dissatisfied with its direction. Dwayne Yancey, former editorial page editor of The Roanoke Times and founder of Cardinal News, shared that “things were in a constant state of decline—cutbacks, retrenchment, doing less with less. With Cardinal, we set out to fill the voids that cutbacks were leaving.” Cardinal News began with two reporters and has grown to a staff of nineteen in less than five years. Like many Virginia news outlets, it was founded with the goal of “creating a megaphone so that our issues and goals are heard statewide,” as Southwest and Southside Virginia are among the most overlooked parts of the state. Cardinal aims to be strictly nonpartisan. The sentiment of uplifting underrepresented voices appears to be prevalent among Virginians. Lauren Burke, founder and reporter for Black Virginia News (created in 2022), has shared similar inspiration. Her goal is to highlight positive news within the Black community, which represents a smaller population. “There’s a saying, ‘If it bleeds, it reads.’ So, if there’s a shooting in Gilpin Court, the Richmond Times is going to cover it, but they’re not going to show positive developments in the Black community,” she shared. When asked what she is most proud of that Black Virginia News has accomplished, Burke answered, “The number of subscribers and the diversity of subscribers. People from all over Virginia read Black Virginia News. And that many people trust me with their email, especially with how much spam there is these days.” Burke believes that most news sources are partisan and that Black Virginia News is primarily left leaning and “does not shy away from a viewpoint.” Many in the news industry are discontent and frustrated with the current state of journalism, including the rise of yellow journalism and sensationalized headlines. Axios Richmond, a Cox subsidiary, shares concerns about the impact these trends have had on local reporting, stating that local journalism has been “obliterated by technology, private equity, and new consumer habits.” Another organization, Dogwood News—a subsidiary of Courier with a staff of five journalists—was launched in 2019 in response to the decline of local newspapers and a desire to “put Virginians at the heart of our reporting.” Their website emphasizes a belief in a Virginia that is representative of all citizens, not just a chosen few, and a dedication to a free press and democracy, asserting that “a strong electorate is an informed electorate.” Michael Phillips, editor of The Richmonder, shared his belief in the effectiveness of the nonprofit model, as it allows the focus to be on what will have the most impact on the city, as opposed to clicks that appeal to advertisers. He hopes to make the city a better place and believes that people want to learn and be invested in their community. He shared, “Our initial mission statement was to spotlight the best of our city while keeping a watchful eye on those in power. I believe both are needed more than ever before. We believe that by keeping an eye on how taxpayer money is spent and being in the room when decisions are made, we can help make the city a better place. Because of the hard work, skills, and dedication of these reporters, Virginians have access to a wealth of information tailored to our interests, from state politics and goings-on to Virginia culture. These news sources and their passionate reporters ensure a neverending fountain of honest, detailed, and current news, enabling Virginians to stay up-to-date and free from the influence of greedy, corrupt, and irrelevant large news corporations that seek to promote their own agendas. Kaitlyn Nanz is a recent graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.A. in Political Science. She is a former intern at David Bailey Associates. The Blonde By KEN JESSUP Since 1995, I’ve been trekking around the capitol, talking with elected officials and legislative assistants about disability issues. Being visually impaired, I use a white cane, which is my “calling card.” I’ve made so many friends—it seems everyone wants to share a story concerning a relative or friend with a disability. Sometimes, it’s even themselves. Now, from time to time, I like to share some of the more memorable moments I’ve experienced as a lobbyist with a disability, as I navigated our Commonwealth’s legislative process. I’ve been warned not to start with the “blonde” story, but this is so amusing that I must share… During a session, I entered an elevator wearing my sunglasses and using my white cane. A rather attractive lady came in behind me. Since we were the only ones, and I hate quiet elevators, I decided to break the ice. Looking straight ahead, and not at her, I said, “You’re a blonde, aren’t you?” The young woman seemed amazed at how I knew. That was all the opening I needed to really play with her head! “People who are blind or visually impaired can tell hair color in an enclosed area, because relative humidity changes according to the pigmentation of hair follicles,” I told her. That would have been the end of the story—and funny enough— as she started to believe what I said. A couple of hours later, I was on the floor where she worked, and I observed her poking a co-worker and saying, “See that blind man? He could tell I’m blonde by the relative humidity on the elevator.” Okay. A knowledge of big words is a dangerous thing. Ken Jessup is a retired lobbyist with Ken Jessup & Associates. He has been a frequent contributor to Virginia Capitol Connections. V V
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