I am asked a lot of times why I do this? Why do I wake up every morning and spend my time running D.C. Witness, finding ways to keep us afloat, talking about homicides, shootings and other violent crimes? Why don’t I just retire?
Here’s why. Because I arrived in the city in 1990, a fresh faced-journalist hungry to make my name. This city gave me my career. This city gave me my life. I met my wife here. My kids were born here. I raised them here (ok admittedly I don’t have great things to say about DCPS.) Today, my kids are grown and moved on with their lives. For some reason my wife still puts up with me. DC is still my home.
I owe this city.
Through all the ups and downs, the coming and going of administrations, the mostly soul crushing of our sports teams – where art though oh Commanders, Nats, Caps (sometimes) and Wizards (always!) – our ever so ephemeral self-rule, the new skylines of NOMA and Navy Yards, the changing population, this city has been and is my home.
So what can I give in return? To quote Liam Neeson, “I don’t have money but I have a set of skills acquired over many years.” So, I set up D.C. Witness to do what nobody else does, other than the occasional flashy take out by the Post: shed light on the most important and yet opaque part of city government – criminal justice.
It’s a really quick way to not make money. But I don’t do it for money. I do it for our city. And now I do it for my amazing staff whose energy, hope and enthusiasm remind me of when I first arrived. I do this for our hungry interns who sit in courtrooms gathering the facts and data, getting the experience they can’t elsewhere. I do this for the families and victims, and the families of the accused who stop our folks in courtrooms virtually every day to thank us.
That’s why I do it. Because DC is my home, and I believe I have the duty to give back. Call me old-fashioned.
And once a year I ask you, our readers and supporters, for help by donating to our end-of-year, tax-deductible, fundraising campaign. A generous match means every dollar up to $15,000 raised by December 31 will be doubled. So I am asking that if you feel what we do benefits our city, please join me in giving back by donating whatever you can spare.
Happy holidays.
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Amos Gelb
Publisher
