All good things must come to an end
Andy Dossett
July 20, 2026
Well, we made it three months.
When I launched The Wiley Post, I wasn't sure if anyone would read it.
Turns out, you did.
Thousands of you.
You've read our stories and shared them with friends. Sent us tips. Corrected my typos (thanks for that). And most importantly, reminded us that Bartlesville still cares about independent local journalism.
But all good things must come to an end — so we can move on to great things.
Now we're at the point where I have to ask for something.
Money.
In my defense, many of you have asked how you could support what we're building financially, so really, this is your fault. Also, I wanted to wait until you had a clear view of what you would be supporting.
The good news is I'm not asking because we're in trouble.
I'm asking because I want to grow what we started.
From the beginning, I've said I didn't want The Wiley Post covered in pop-up ads, autoplay videos and all the other junk that seems to follow you around the internet. I'd rather spend my time reporting than figuring out how to trick you into clicking another page or knocking on doors trying to sell ads.
So I'm trying something different.
We're looking for monthly individual supporters and annual business sponsors who believe in the value of local independent journalism.
Our goal is to raise $50,000 a year through community support.
It's probably a pie-in-the-sky number.
Maybe we get there. Maybe we don't.
Either way, I'm not giving up anytime soon, and the Wiley Post will continue to put out weekly hyper-local and hyper-relevant news for our readers.
One thing I want you to know: every story you've read over the last three months has been made possible by our journalists, who have donated their time, their cameras, their computers, their software, their gas, their weekends and more than a little bit of their sanity.
Your support doesn't unlock stories behind a paywall. It keeps them in front of one. Every dollar helps keep The Wiley Post free for everyone to read.
I'm afraid I don't have a tote bag or coffee mug to send you.
The only thing I can offer in return is my gratitude — and the pride of supporting free, independent journalism for the community we all share.
What your support does is make it easier for us to keep saying "yes" to another story, another interview, another public records request and another late night at the keyboard. A coffee mug would be cool, so I will add it to the list.
It also helps us:
Upgrade the website and improve the reader experience.
Strengthen our search presence and get The Wiley Post into places like Google News.
Pay our journalists for the time they spend reporting.
Cover reporting expenses, public records requests and legal costs.
Continue improving our craft through training and journalism competitions.
Explore a future print edition.
Build an independent newsroom that's here for the long haul.
Right now, this whole operation runs on passion, stubbornness and what ChatGPT describes as "an unhealthy amount of caffeine."
I'd like to keep it that way. Well, maybe with a little less caffeine.
If you own a business, represent an organization or simply want to help us build something lasting, I'd love to talk about larger sponsorship opportunities.
We believe local journalism is worth investing in.
If you do too, we'd be honored to have you with us.
And whether you support us financially or simply keep reading, sharing stories and sending tips, thank you.
Three months ago, this was just an idea.
Today, it's becoming a newsroom.
Let's see what we can build together.
Please consider becoming a monthly supporter of The Wiley Post.
We've partnered with News Revenue Hub through FundJournalism.org to provide a secure, straightforward way to become a monthly supporter. The platform is built specifically to help independent news organizations develop sustainable reader support.
Support The Wiley Post through our FundJournalism page,
The Wiley Post isn't a nonprofit — at least not yet. That's something I'm exploring as we grow. For now, your support isn't tax-deductible, but it does go directly back into reporting, improving the newsroom and keeping our journalism free for everyone to read.
We'll keep everyone updated on our progress toward our $50,000 annual goal. Whether we reach it in six months or six years, we're committed to building something Bartlesville can be proud of.
Thank you for believing that local independent journalism is worth fighting for.
