MercerMe has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium (NJCIC) to support the long-term sustainability of local news coverage serving Hopewell Valley and surrounding communities.
The funding supports a one-year capacity-building effort in 2026 focused on strengthening MercerMe’s operations and revenue so the newsroom can continue delivering consistent, in-depth local reporting.
Founded in 2013, MercerMe provides free, daily coverage of Hopewell Township, Hopewell Borough, and Pennington Borough, along with reporting that affects residents across Mercer and neighboring Hunterdon counties. It is the only newsroom providing comprehensive, ongoing coverage of Hopewell Valley.
The NJCIC grant will help MercerMe invest in the business and operational side of the organization — work that is essential to sustaining local journalism but often happens behind the scenes. Specifically, the funding will support transitioning the publisher role from unpaid to paid leadership, adding dedicated advertising sales capacity, strengthening financial and operational systems, and advancing new earned-income products such as self-service obituaries and legal notices. The grant also supports required media liability insurance needed for eligibility to publish legal notices in New Jersey.
Since hiring its first full-time editor in early 2025, MercerMe has seen significant growth in readership and reader support, reflecting strong demand for reliable local coverage. The newsroom has been able to produce more timely, consistent, and comprehensive coverage across the Hopewell Valley, a pace of growth that has underscored the need for stronger staffing and systems to support the work long term.
“This funding allows us to stabilize the business side of MercerMe so we can continue showing up for our readers every day,” said publisher and founder Mary Galioto. “It’s an important step forward, but it’s not an endpoint. Building a sustainable local newsroom takes time, diversified revenue, and ongoing community support.”
“This grant allows MercerMe to do more of what matters — telling the stories of Hopewell Valley with depth, accuracy, and care,” said Seth Siditsky, MercerMe’s full-time editor. “With stronger support behind the newsroom, we can broaden our coverage, invest more time in reporting, and ensure residents have consistent access to vital local information.”
The NJCIC grant is designed to help local news organizations strengthen access to civic information while building more durable operating models. MercerMe has previously participated in NJCIC-supported programs, including the Blue Engine Media Sustainability Accelerator and paid internship initiatives, as well as national programs focused on newsroom sustainability and operations.
Over the next year, readers can expect MercerMe to continue publishing daily local news while strengthening the systems that support that work. That includes deeper reporting capacity, clearer public information, and new tools that make it easier for the community to access essential notices and updates.
The NJCIC grant helps move this work forward, but building a sustainable local newsroom is an ongoing effort. Readers can support that work by staying engaged, sharing reporting that matters, and continuing to rely on MercerMe as your trusted source of local news.
