Vermont’s largest newsroom is growing its editing operations as it continues to expand its coverage of the state.
VTDigger has created two new positions: a senior editor charged with building a dedicated southern Vermont bureau and a newsletter editor who will launch new offerings and improve existing ones.
“Thanks to the growing support of VTDigger readers and donors, we are grateful to have the opportunity to deepen our coverage of southern Vermont and further enhance our newsletter products,” said Anne Galloway, founder and editor-in-chief of VTDigger and executive director of the Vermont Journalism Trust. “As part of this expansion, we have been fortunate to attract and promote some of the best journalists in the region.”
As it reshapes its editing desk, the nonprofit, digital news organization has hired two highly respected former journalists — Diane Derby and Alicia Freese — and promoted several current employees to key roles.
VTDigger has tapped Derby, a veteran reporter and U.S. Senate staffer, and digital editor Mike Dougherty to serve as senior editors. In that role, they will work with reporters from pitch through publication, ensuring that stories meet the highest standards. Derby will focus on criminal justice and policy reporting, while Dougherty will lead VTDigger’s politics team.
Derby spent nearly two decades in journalism, including stints at the Burlington Free Press and the Rutland Herald. For nine of those years, she reported for the Vermont Press Bureau, providing coverage of state government and the congressional delegation for the Herald and the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus. Derby later served as a spokesperson for then-Sen. Jim Jeffords and as a field representative for Sen. Patrick Leahy.
Since joining VTDigger in 2017, Dougherty has led the news organization’s audio, video, social media and reader engagement efforts. He created, produced and hosted the Deeper Dig podcast and helped guide VTDigger’s coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Dougherty previously worked for the Vermont Humanities Council and for StoryCorps.
Tom Kearney, who joined VTDigger as a senior editor in 2020, will continue in that role but with a new focus: expanding the news outlet’s coverage of southern Vermont. VTDigger plans to create two new reporting positions — based in Windsor and Rutland counties — to join existing reporters based in Windham and Bennington counties. Kearney grew up in Brattleboro and, for 20 years, served as executive editor of The Keene Sentinel across the border in southern New Hampshire. More recently, he spent nearly 15 years in various leadership roles at the Stowe Reporter.
Freese, one of VTDigger’s original reporters, will rejoin the organization as its first newsletter editor. In that role, she will help envision and create a new daily newsletter and contribute to story editing. Freese, who grew up in Tunbridge, covered state government and politics for VTDigger from 2012 through 2013. She spent the next five years covering Burlington and then state government and politics for Seven Days. Freese has since been teaching English in Mexico.
Replacing Dougherty as digital editor will be Natalie Williams, who joined VTDigger last year as news editor. In that role, Williams has worked on VTDigger’s night desk — proofreading, fact-checking and publishing stories, as well as contributing to social media, newsletters, multimedia and style. Williams previously served as visuals coordinator and digital editor for the Bangor Daily News in Maine and as a reporter, photographer and editor for publications in California.
