Happy New Year, friends of Issue Media Group! We wish you all the best in 2025.
At IMG, a top story isn’t about views or clicks; it’s about impact. We ask the organizations and individuals we cover if our journalism made a difference—funds raised for a nonprofit, volunteers stepping forward, public support for a cause, or meaningful change happening.
At Issue Media Group, we’re reflecting on home in the communities we serve—where “home” means different things to different people. For some, securing a safe, attainable, healthy home is a growing challenge. For others, their home community’s narrative is misunderstood or misrepresented.
This is our mission: vital journalism that moves communities forward. It’s a privilege to do this work, but it wouldn’t be possible without your financial support. Our journalism is free, with no paywalls, because we believe in sharing it as widely as possible.
This newsletter spotlights stories that reflect this work, showcasing the power of journalism to drive change and empower communities.
To keep doing this work, we rely on funders, large and small. On every IMG publication homepage, you’ll find a “Support Us” button where you can donate or become a recurring member. You can also support our entire network through a general contribution.
Thank you for helping us drive change in 2025!
John Montgomery
CEO
Issue Media Group
Inside IMG
Inside IMG
![treeplanting]()
Friday, January 10, 2025
Last March, we wrote about
tree, park, and trails equity in Grand Rapids (bet you didn’t know there is something called a Tree Equity Score), and that story directly resulted in Friends of Grand Rapids Parks getting inquiries from other media outlets, growth in their social media following, and interaction with their newsletter.
Inside IMG
![childrenplanting]()
Friday, January 10, 2025
In Mt. Pleasant, we wrote about a public charter school
innovating in education through project-based learning and real-world applications. The coverage generated excitement for the Renaissance Academy, and it contributed to enrollment growth at the school.
Inside IMG
![neighborhood]()
Friday, January 10, 2025
And in Detroit, an installment in our “Resilient Neighborhoods” series was about how a community is beginning to rebound in part because of a focus on the
health and quality of life of its residents. The executive director of HOPE Village Revitalization told us that “the timeliness of the story was perfect.”
View More