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A banner in the Aiken Standard’s newsroom proclaims, “The truth is our standard” and “Facts are not free.”
This is a constant reminder for journalists of the importance of their work and how much it costs in terms of paperwork and other costs.
The Aiken Standard is launching a public service and investigative journalism fund in 2021, working with the Charleston Post and Courier, the flagship newspaper of parent organization Evening Post Publishing Group, to support governments and elected officials. He has been working on the “Uncovered” series, which exposes misconduct by public officials.
With Sunshine Week taking place March 10-16, a time when public records and open government are celebrated across the country, the Aiken Standard is asking readers to donate to the fund. A goal of $1,000 by 2024 has been set.
These funds will be used to help the Aiken Standard continue reporting on how taxpayer money is being spent. Chief among them is Project Pascalis, a former economic development project designed to transform downtown Aiken.
Matthew Christian, who covers the city of Aiken for the newspaper, estimated in a September 2023 article that nearly $11 million was spent on the project, which ultimately failed.
“A $75 million economic development effort would transform one of the most prominent blocks in downtown Aiken,” Christian said. “This investment would have required millions of taxpayer dollars to make the project a success.”
Christian has been following the Paschalis project and its aftermath since May 2022, shortly after he joined the newspaper’s staff. He filed multiple Freedom of Information Act requests related to the Paschalis project, and the paper spent hundreds of dollars to obtain documents.
It’s all part of the job, he said.
“We have a responsibility to make sure the government is spending our tax dollars wisely,” Christian said.
A front-page article commemorating the one-year anniversary of the project’s cancellation detailed the problems that led to Pascalis’ derailment and included a timeline of events.
The city allocated most of the money spent on the Pascalis project from funds it received with the Department of Energy from the state’s landmark settlement over plutonium stored at the Savannah River site. But there were other costs that taxpayers ultimately borne.
“It was nice to be able to put money toward what taxpayers have spent on this project,” Christian said. “The city spent more than $10 million trying to make this project work, and by saying it failed, it’s brought attention to how much money the city spent.
“I think this has changed the conversation from speculation to providing hard numbers for people to discuss. ‘Was that $11 million worth?’ People might say. And we told our readers what that means for the city. ”
Although Project Pascalis has ended, the city is still transforming one of its most prominent neighborhoods. And Christians continue to follow stories related to economic development.
“We want to track the money and make sure the city is using our tax dollars wisely as we pursue other economic development projects,” Christian said. “This includes the sale of the Hotel Aiken, the redevelopment of the CC Johnson Building, and the construction of a downtown mixed-use building.”
To learn more about the Public Service and Investigative Journalism Fund or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit aikenstandard.com/pledge.
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