When we began publishing in November, we committed ourselves to be fiercely independent. That means that no one who contributes money to the PI, to include even our board members, has any say in our journalism.
To strengthen that wall, we adopted a policy in June that we would not take donations from government entities, political parties, state and town-wide elected officials or announced candidates for those positions.
Prior to June, however, we received a flood of contributions from scores of Plymouth residents. That included donations from a handful of elected officials. We apologize for the oversight, and we are grateful to local blogger Jack Gately for calling this to our attention. The donations, which total $860, are being returned.
We have established procedures to avoid any similar misstep in the future, ensuring our journalistic integrity remains uncompromised.
Thank you for your support and trust in our mission.
Plymouth Independent Board of Directors