Help the Asheville Blade recover from Helene

For over a decade the Asheville Blade has created in-depth, hard-hitting journalism. Now we are struggling to stay afloat in the aftermath of Helene.

While all the reporters in our journalism co-op were fortunately unharmed, we've had to deal with the challenges of reporting from a disaster zone while enduring it as individuals and community members.

Sadly, as plenty in our communities who support our journalism lost housing or jobs, it's hit us too. While the past few years have been challenging, this is the most difficult yet.

Please help our co-op survive the aftermath of Helene.

Despite the trials of this year we still did solid work. In 2024, the Blade exposed Tourists' team co-owner Mike DeWine for his bigotry , Mayor Esther Manheimer for her attacks on free speech and city council candidate Tod Leaven for his real estate industry dark money. We covered local government allowing hate speech while shutting out anti-genocide locals, sounded the alarm about right-wing businesses' push to impose their own private government on downtown and told the tale of locals’ tenacious fight against it.

We brought you stories of city hall giving cops drones and the city manager a massive raise while paying firefighters poorly. We debunked “mob attack” myths created by far-right Zionists, and we reported on Asheville government shutting down a whole swath of downtown to cater to a fascist oligarch.

We reported on the Helene disaster , including providing key information to locals, delving into the shattered water system and telling the truth about how elites are worsening the crises.

All year long, we kept you updated on the covid pandemic that continues to hit our town. Through hell and high water (literally), the Blade has reported on what matters most. We need your help to keep doing it. And to do it more.