Dear City Paper readers,

We wanted to offer you an update about our pandemic operations and decision to continue delivering papers to our outdoor boxes, apartment buildings, and other area locations. 

City Paper’s paper route delivery drivers are considered essential workers because they are disseminating vital community news. We supplied our drivers with letters identifying them as such in case they are stopped. They are also using gloves, masks, and hand sanitizer as they deliver our papers. Thankfully the nature of their job already adheres to social distancing standards.

We thank our drivers for doing the essential work of making sure our paper gets into the hands of the 25 percent of Washingtonians who lack broadband access, and the 17 percent who lack access to a computer. We believe that those readers—our neighbors—deserve the same access to information, connection, and distraction as everyone else, and we are committed to printing and delivering our paper for as long as we are allowed. We’ve had to reduce our routes, but you can search this sheet to find a print City Paper. 

We also want to thank those readers and members who have stepped up to support our community journalism. Hundreds of you have joined our membership program over the past few weeks, doubling our pre-crisis membership. Some joined for the cool swag; some joined because they love our journalism. But every contribution allows us to pursue our mission of delivering free local journalism to our community.

If you haven’t signed up yet, we hope that you’ll join us—and our more than 600 members that are inspiring us to do even more ambitious journalism that keeps you informed about what is happening in your community.

Thank you for reading, D.C. If you can’t make it outside, please find a digital replica of our current edition here. 

Stay home, stay well, and, if you can, please consider becoming a member. 

—City Paper staff