Our Mission
MarylandReporter.com is a daily news website produced by journalists committed to making state government as open, transparent, accountable and responsive as possible – in deed, not just in promise. We believe the people who pay for this government are entitled to have their money spent in an efficient and effective way, and that they are entitled to keep as much of their hard-earned dollars as they possibly can. These taxpayers also expect their government:
- to aggressively protect public safety and public health;
- to act as the caregiver of last resort to care for the poor, the sick, the ignorant, the disabled, the abused and the victims of crime;
- to provide an adequate transportation infrastructure;
- to promote their state as a place that is business friendly and environmentally sound.
We believe that these goals should be pursued without waste, fraud or abuse and with approaches that do not automatically favor the government’s involvement, funding and growth.
The editors, reporters and contributors to MarylandReporter.com will follow the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists as a model of journalism, and they will welcome the feedback of readers, viewers, sources and others who think they have not lived up to this ideal. As the preamble of the code states: “Public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues.”
That is the mission of MarylandReporter.com on state government and politics.
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Our organization
MarylandReporter.com, Inc. was incorporated in Maryland as a nonprofit organization Sept. 2, 2009 and was granted its exemption from federal income tax under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code Feb. 3, 2010.
MarylandReporter.com is supported by grants from foundations, by advertising, by contributions from donors and sponsors and by payments from other news organizations for customized content produced for them. All donations are tax deductible. We do not accept political advertising.
MarylandReporter.com was launched with the help of the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, which has assisted us with grant-writing and sources of financial support and by connecting us with others who are working to produce reporting in the nonprofit model from statehouses around the country. The Franklin Center enhanced our reporting capacity during the legislative session in 2010 by providing two Benjamin Franklin Fellows, paid post-graduate journalists with degrees from Maryland schools.
Other news organizations which use our content include The Business Monthly, The Daily Record, CityBizList, Corridor Inc. magazine, WAMU and What’s Up—Annapolis. MarylandReporter.com is affiliated with the TBD.com Community Network.
MarylandReporter.com is a member of the National Newspaper Association, and its staff has memberships in the Society of Professional Journalists, the Online News Association, Capitolbeat – the Association of Capital Reporters and Editors, and Investigative Reporters and Editors.
A copy of the current financial statement of MarylandReporter.com (IRS Form 990) is available by writing Len Lazarick, MarylandReporter.com Inc., 6392 Shadowshape Place, Columbia, MD 21045, by e-mailing Len@MarylandReporter.com, or by calling 410-312-9840. Documents and information submitted under the Maryland Solicitations Act are also available, for the cost of postage and copies, from the Maryland Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis MD 21401, (410) 974-5534.
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Comment policy
We welcome and encourage your comments on our site. However, all comments are subject to moderation, and may be removed at the discretion of MarylandReporter.com. We ask that you follow these guidelines:
- Be polite. No personal attacks against other commenters or private individuals will be tolerated.
- Be considerate. We will not publish comments utilizing inappropriate language.
- Be yourself. Any comment or trackback that is not relevant to the story and is deemed spam will not be published.
If you come across a comment that you feel does not meet our standards, please flag it. MarylandReporter.com will look at it and make a final decision.
