N.Y. Times: Pottstown’s Lone Reporter Continues to Chronicle His Town Through Good Times and Bad

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Image of Evan Brandt via Lorraine Dusky.

Evan Brandt, one of the last – if not the last – remaining reporter covering Pottstown, continues to chronicle his town through good times and bad, writes Dan Barry for The New York Times.

Brandt has seen his newspaper, The Mercury, wither under a hedge fund and his entire industry fall into disarray, even before the coronavirus pandemic.

But he still covers Pottstown by publishing essential information, holding officials accountable, and marking the special moments.

By doing this, he continues to provide the essential service that can only be delivered by local – usually overworked and underpaid – reporters.

The Mercury’s reporters have been giving voice to Pottstown for nearly nine decades, following the small town as it rose, fell, and rose again.

During that time, they have covered stories small and large, including the “crime of the decade” – the murder of a millionaire developer in the early 1980s.

However, despite all the cuts and the loss of the newspaper’s building, Brandt still refuses to hang up his mantle.

“I think of it as a calling, the same way that some people are called to the priesthood,” he said.

Read more about Pottstown in The New York Times by clicking here.

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