In the New York Times on Dec. 21, columnist David Carr meditates on the current state of the media under the intriguing headline “After a Year of Ruin, Some Hope.”  

Naturally, our eyes went straight to this paragraph toward the end of the piece:

“And even postprint, the constellation of local news sites put together by ex-newspaper folks include the big and well-financed like Texas Tribune, the small and charming like Baltimore Brew and some experiments that seem less tentative all the time, like MinnPost and Voice of San Diego.”

We think he has it exactly right. MinnPost is not “big and well-financed” -- though we wish we were. And we’re not trying to be “small and charming” either.

What we’re trying to be is a serious, independent, professionally reported and edited journalism voice that serves the needs of news-intense people who care about Minnesota ... a voice that is member-supported and sustainable, a strong part of the media landscape serving our state now and into the future.

And that’s where you come in.

With the help of many generous donors who started giving on “Give to the Max” Day, we’ve raised more than $30,000, hitting the goal we set for Dec. 22.

But every extra dollar we raise this month helps us sustain the level of reporting, analysis and editing you’ve come to expect from MinnPost ... helps us keep great journalists writing for MinnPost ... helps us keep a full-time reporter in Washington ... helps us cover politics, government, media, health, science, education, business, the arts and all the topics that make a difference to the quality of life and democracy for all of us.

We are tremendously grateful for the support so many people have already given us. But if you haven’t made an end-of-year donation yet, and you believe in the kind of high-quality journalism we’re providing, we still need your help.

To donate online before Dec. 31 just click here to go directly to our end-of-year campaign page. Thanks to GiveMN, 100% of your donation goes directly to MinnPost. And you’ll get a 100% tax deduction too.