The 51st

The 51st
Information with representation
TypeWebsite and newsletter
Founder(s)Natalie Delgadillo, Eric Falquero, Teresa Frontado, Colleen Grablick, Abigail Higgins, Maddie Poore
Board of DirectorsChristina Sturdivant Sani, Natalie Delgadillo, Eric Falquero, Colleen Grablick, Abigail Higgins, Maddie Poore
Founded2024
LanguagePredominantly English, some Spanish and Amharic with partners
CityDistrict of Columbia
CountryUnited States
Website51st.news

The 51st is a nonprofit local news website registered in the District of Columbia.[1] It is affiliated with the Tiny News Collective[2] and Institute for Nonprofit News.[3] The name is a reference to the District of Columbia statehood movement debate. In addition to publishing, the organization gathers people in person by tabling at community events and hosting their own, such as a live gameshow celebrating D.C. history and culture.[4]

History

The company was founded in May 2024 by a group of former DCist and WAMU employees.[5] The effort was preceded by layoffs at WAMU, including shuttering of the DCist local news website.[6][a] The founders crowdfunded a quarter of a million dollars to get started.[9] The outlet began publishing weekly newsletters that October.

Operations

The organization is one of a growing number of worker-owned (for-profit) and worker-led (non-profit) media cooperatives.[10] Such models position themselves as alternatives to mainstream media.[11] Other examples include The Appeal,[12] 404 Media and Hell Gate NYC.[13]

Coverage

In its first year, The 51st contributed to a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation.[14] Several of its articles and sections were also recognized with awards from the D.C. chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.[15]

The newsroom collaborates with other local outlets frequently, including Street Sense,[16] the Baltimore Banner,[17] Ethiopique, El Tiempo Latino[18], and The Washington Afro-American.

Notes

  1. ^ Local news coverage in D.C., and across U.S. communities, has shrunk since the early 2000s.[7] The cutbacks that sparked The 51st were simply the most recent in the District.[8]

References

  1. ^ "The 51st". OpenCorporates. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  2. ^ "Our Members". Tiny News Collective. April 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  3. ^ "The 51st". Find Your News. Institute for Nonprofit News. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  4. ^ "Locals celebrate D.C. Natives Day 2025 with live trivia showdown". Afro News. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  5. ^ Izadi, Elahe (16 July 2024). "Former DCist staff launch the 51st, new local news site for Washington". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  6. ^ Beaujon, Andrew (19 April 2024). "Why Did WAMU Close DCist?". Washingtonian. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  7. ^ "D.C. continues to see declines in local journalism". The Wash. 16 Dec 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  8. ^ Olivia Scharf, Elaine Clarke (23 May 2025). "Fighting a slow collapse, Washingtonians say local journalism is more important now than ever". The Georgetown Voice. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  9. ^ Morris, Vince (23 Aug 2024). "The 51st Reaches Fundraising Milestone But Sustainability Remains a Question". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  10. ^ Farr, Marigo (21 Aug 2024). "A Newsroom Where Everyone Has a Seat at the Table". NiemanReports. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  11. ^ Sylvester, Diane (21 Nov 2024). "The 51st: Building a worker-led newsroom from the ashes of DCist". Editor & Publisher. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  12. ^ "The Appeal is back! And we're worker-run". The Appeal. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  13. ^ Fu, Angela (8 Jan 2025). "Why more and more journalists are launching worker-owned outlets". Poynter. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  14. ^ "Collaborative project with Baltimore Banner, New York Times and Big Local News wins Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting". Big Local News. 5 May 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  15. ^ "2025 Hall of Fame and Dateline Awards dinner applauds journalism excellence in the D.C. region, celebrates distinguished honorees". SPJ - Washington DC. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  16. ^ "2024 Reporting". Homeless Crisis Reporting Project. Street Sense Media. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  17. ^ "How Drug Overdose Deaths Have Plagued One Generation of Black Men for Decades". The New York Times. 20 Dec 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  18. ^ Falquero, Eric (10 Dec 2024). "Inmigración en la era Trump: Aprende sobre algunos recursos locales para inmigrantes y sus familias". El Tiempo Latino. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
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