The Plymouth Independent is seeking a top editor as Mark Pothier says he’ll step aside

Less than two years after its founding, the Plymouth Independent has established itself as one of the larger and more stable hyperlocal news startups in Massachusetts. Now it’s moving on to a new phase.

Founding executive editor and CEO Mark Pothier announced this morning that he’s stepping aside as soon as a successor is named. Pothier’s not going anywhere, explaining that he plans to stick around as a reporter, bringing the size of the news staff from three full-timers to four. A chief development officer will be hired as well, all the better to raise funds for an anonymous $1 million matching grant that will be used to start an endowment. Pothier writes:

My promise to the board was that I would build the site and organization over at least two years. My two-year anniversary is in September. There’s always more to do that we can’t get to. My email in-box seems to have a life of its own. This job has been all-consuming. I’m glad I signed up for it.

Plymouth is among the largest towns in the state, with a population of about 66,000. Nevertheless, a four-person staff is unusual these days, and it’s a lot for a digital-only nonprofit. The Independent’s staff is also unusually high-powered, as both Pothier and staff reporter Andrea Estes are Boston Globe veterans and the other staff reporter, Fred Thys, worked for prominent news outlets such as WBUR and VTDigger. Globe reporting legend Walter Robinson, a Plymouth resident, is among its board members.

The Independent’s aggressive reporting has also been the subject of two New England Muzzle Awards I’ve given out to town officials for stonewalling and threatening the news site.

The Independent’s search for an executive editor to replace Pothier is now under way. You can view the job listing here. As you’ll see, it’s a good-paying job with decent benefits. What follows is the full text of Pothier’s announcement.

Since the Plymouth Independent launched on Nov. 20, 2023, we’ve operated with a staff of three — me, Andrea Estes, and Fred Thys — buttressed by a formidable cast of contributors.

We’ve published more than 1,000 stories, along with many letters, columns, photos, obituaries, and images from local artists. The Independent has chalked up millions of page views. It’s built an email list of 31,000 “subscribers” to our free nonprofit news site.

From the start, it was obvious that Plymouth residents were craving local news. But none of us expected the overwhelming surge of interest the site generated from the first week. Since then, I’ve received dozens of messages and calls from editors of startup nonprofit news sites around the country, most of whom ask a variation of this question: What’s the secret to your out-of-the-box success?

There is no magic involved, just relentless work, the support of a strong and engaged board, our business sponsors, and especially you – the readers.

Financially, this adventure is always going to be a challenge. Only about one in 10 readers have contributed to the Independent. We appreciate those who have and continue to do so, no matter the amount.

Thankfully, a generous local family (that wishes to remain anonymous) has given us a $1 million challenge grant to start an endowment. We’re more than halfway toward matching that incredible gift with another $1 million from donors. The funding will buy us security, generating annual income from its returns that can be used toward paying operating expenses. (For more information about the endowment, please contact the Independent’s Development Office at 617-800-9705.)

The same family that seeded the endowment has also given us additional money to hire a chief development officer — a top-tier pro whose sole job will be to raise funds for operating expenses. That process is underway.

We’re also going to make another hire — an executive editor. No, I’m not leaving. My promise to the board was that I would build the site and organization over at least two years. My two-year anniversary is in September. There’s always more to do that we can’t get to. My email in-box seems to have a life of its own. This job has been all-consuming. I’m glad I signed up for it.

All along, the plan has been for me to eventually take a step back and hand over the reins to someone younger who can elevate the Independent to the next level. Our board has started looking for the right person.

When that day comes, I’ll still be here, but my focus will turn to finding, reporting, and writing stories that are important to you.

For readers, this means that the Independent will pack on more muscle. Going from a staff of three to four is significant. It will allow us take on more stories — including follow-ups and time-consuming investigative pieces — and mark the beginning of a new chapter for the Independent as we move into year three.

I look forward to helping write it.