How The Post and Courier turns community support into journalism funding

From left, The Post and Courier's Chief Opportunity and Marketing Officer Chris Zoeller poses with Author Elin Hilderbrand, Post and Courier’s Publisher and President PJ Browning and Polly Buxton of Buxton Books at the inaugural Charleston Porch Talks event on Sept. 18, 2025. (Photo credit: Paul Zoeller)

I encourage publishers to think outside the box and continue to receive support from our loyal readers. You need to reinvent yourself regularly. You can be the most trusted news outlet in your community, but you must do something new to connect with people.”

PJ Browning, president and publisher, The Post and Courier

Every news outlet relies on exceptional journalism and a well-executed business and revenue model to attract readers and advertisers and build a sustainable future. However, success in today’s news environment also requires robust community engagement.

PJ Browning, publisher and president of the Charleston (South Carolina) Post and Courier, along with its other leaders and news staff, has been very active in cultivating a stronger bond with the community — both to support journalism financially and to promote its importance in a democracy. In 2021, it launched the Journalism Preservation Fund, and more than 2,200 people have donated in just four years.

That success motivated the Post and Courier to introduce the Journalism Preservation Society in September 2025. It is a membership model, similar to those other news outlets utilize to boost financial support and community engagement.

“We seek grants and host a year-end Journalism Preservation fundraiser, but it was time to take these efforts to the next level with the Society. We’ve set a goal of 2,000 Society members in our first year and to raise $1.25 million,” Browning said.

The Fund and now the Society support the Post and Courier’s investigative journalists, its “Rising Waters” series of climate stories of the South and its Education Lab in support of South Carolina schools.

“Our general subscriptions support much of the newsroom operations, but long-form investigative journalism and reporting for our labs is expensive, often requiring six months to a year of work. We haven’t laid off any investigative and lab reporters; instead, we’ve increased Education Lab coverage. We also onboarded 33 interns this fall as part of our statewide internship program, which is either funded or through scholarship programs,” Browning added.

A Charleston Porch Talks guest waits to meet New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand at the VIP Meet and Greet on Sept. 18, 2025. (Photo credit: Paul Zoeller)

Of the many benefits of a Society membership, the first Charleston Porch Talks, a new speaker series, was a tremendous success with a sold-out crowd of 600 people — triple what the Post and Courier expected. The Sept. 18 event featured author Elin Hilderbrand. Her 30 novels, based on the beach life near her Nantucket home, have sold more than 20 million books worldwide and gained her recognition as the “queen of beach reads.”

Craig Johnson, the bestselling author of the “Longmire” mystery series, will be the guest speaker at the second Charleston Porch Talks on Oct. 21.

Six Porch Talks events are planned for the first year, featuring a diverse mix of authors and speakers who will address important topics. Partnering with community organizations and businesses is just as important as engaging with Society members and the greater community. The College of Charleston is the official venue, with a capacity to host from 100 to 2,700 guests. Buxton Books, an independent bookstore, is the official book sponsor and helps secure the authors.

An attendee reviews a Journalism Preservation Society brochure at the inaugural Charleston Porch Talks event on Sept. 18, 2025. (Photo credit: Chris Hanclosky)

The Post and Courier is also introducing cottage meetings as more personalized ways to invite the community to join the Journalism Preservation Society.

“We will invite our Society members to our Cottage Talks in groups of 30 to 60, based on their wealth level: $250,000 and more, $150,000 to $250,000, and $75,000 to $150,000. We’ll host living-room conversations with a couple of journalists to discuss recent stories and the importance of journalism,” Browning said.

The Post and Courier’s Journalism Preservation Society memberships start at $1,000 (The Headline Club) to $25,000 (Publisher’s Circle).

“I encourage publishers to think outside the box and continue to receive support from our loyal readers. You need to reinvent yourself regularly. You can be the most trusted news outlet in your community, but you must do something new to connect with people,” Browning said.

Bob Sillick has held many senior positions and served a myriad of clients during his 47 years in marketing and advertising. He has been a freelance/contract content researcher, writer, editor and manager since 2010.  He can be reached at bobsillick@gmail.com.