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# Graham Moomaw: Why I do what I do
- URL: https://www.richmonder.org/graham-moomaw-why-i-do-what-i-do/
- Published: 2024-12-10T00:00:53.000Z
- Updated: 2024-12-10T00:00:52.000Z
- Description: The decline of local news is a crisis for the civic health of American cities and I wanted to help do something about it.
- Author: David M. Poole
- Tags: Newsletter

Here is the first in a series of profiles to introduce you to the people behind The Richmonder:

*I’m Graham Moomaw, and I signed on to be a reporter at The Richmonder because the decline of local news is a crisis for the civic health of American cities and I wanted to help do something about it.*

*One of my favorite journalism-related quotes is the playwright Arthur Miller’s description of a good newspaper as “a nation talking to itself.” In our context, good local journalism is a city talking to itself. And as that conversation weakens, so does the connective tissue that makes a community a community.*

*I believe every Richmond resident should have the ability to follow what their mayor and city council are doing on their behalf. Decisions at the local level often affect day-to-day life in a more direct way than votes at the statehouse or in Washington.* 

*And for anyone exhausted by the toxicity of red vs. blue politics, refocusing on what’s happening in our own community can be a refreshing reminder that making a difference starts at the local level.*

*My wife and I have been part of the Richmond community for more than a decade. We are raising our three small children in Stratford Hills, south of the James.*

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You may have noticed that Graham is on a roll. He worked over the weekend for a scoop that the city’s [top executive officer will leave](https://www.richmonder.org/richmond-city-hall-chief-lincoln-saunders-will-leave-top-administrative-job-at-years-end/) at the end of the year. And today, Graham proved the journalistic truism that there is no substitute for showing up. Graham was in the room last month when a non-agenda item came before the Planning Commission last month. This led to an exclusive about neighbors [upset about a VMFA plan](https://www.richmonder.org/vmfas-plan-for-art-storage-facility-draws-pushback-from-neighbors/) to shoehorn a 12,000-square-foot storage facility into their alley.

Today, I’m asking you to become more than a Richmonder reader.

Become a [donor](https://www.richmonder.org/donate).

Your support will help ensure that Graham continues to ply the city hall beat. And as our support grows, The Richmonder can hire more full-time reporters to work alongside Graham and Sarah Vogelsong.

We make it easy to join with the nearly [600 readers](https://www.richmonder.org/donor-list/) who have made the decision to invest in our efforts to enlighten and connect the community.

Click on a button below and commit to an amount that fits your budget, and know you’ve done your part to foster what Graham would describe as Richmonders talking to themselves. 

[Donate $9.99 a month](https://donate.stripe.com/7sIaFu5wO7QS6WsaEO)

[Donate $19.99 a month](https://donate.stripe.com/aEUeVK6AS3AC4Ok28j)

Thank you for reading The Richmonder and for your willingness to step forward and help make our work possible.

Regards,

**David M. Poole**  
Development Director

*PS – If you would prefer to make a one-time donation, you can* [*select your preferred amount.*](https://www.richmonder.org/donate) *The suggested annual amount is $120, but gifts of any size – large or small – are appreciated. You can double your impact by giving today. The first $1,000 of any donation will be matched through a challenge grant from the Institute for Nonprofit News. Thank you.*