End of Journalism Era in Connecticut; New Chapter Prepares to be Written

Significant – and potentially significant – comings and goings on the media landscape in Connecticut as 2023 replaces 2022.

After twelve years, the non-profit Connecticut Health Investigative Team (C-HIT) has closed down at the end of December, concluding impactful years of award-winning journalism that was regularly featured on front pages (print and digital) of a multitude of publications across the state.  From day one, the online publication and news service was “dedicated to producing original, responsible, in-depth journalism on issues of health and safety, in Connecticut and the surrounding region.”

Co-founder Lynne DeLucia announced last month plans to retire and cease publication of C-HIT, which broke new ground when the endeavor was launched, and quickly gained acclaim for its investigative stories and impact in bringing together journalism veterans and those aspiring to the field - as well as reporting noteworthy stories that advanced the public interest.

DeLucia has been a working journalist in Connecticut for nearly a half-century, including time at the New Haven Register (including reporting from the State Capitol) and as assistant managing editor of Hartford Courant.

She co-founded the Connecticut Health I-Team, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, with former Register and Courant reporter Lisa Chedekel, who died of cancer in 2018. She was succeeded by Bonnie Phillips, a former Hartford Courant editor. The goal was clearly stated and never waivered:  “To fill a void in health, safety and medical coverage by producing a steady stream of news stories, many of them investigative, that focus on systemic problems within the healthcare system that affect real people – ie, the quality of care in hospitals, nursing homes, schools and other facilities; regulatory actions by government agencies; mental health treatment issues involving children and adults; and healthcare reform, including coverage of the insurance industry, the impact on consumers and the elderly.”

The list of awards and recognition earned by C-HIT is lengthy.  In just the past year, they accolades include the New England Newspaper & Press Association, Publick Occurrences Award, 2022; Connecticut Press Club, 1st Place, online feature, 2021; Connecticut Press Club, 2nd Place, online news, 2021; New England Newspaper & Press Association, Publick Occurrences Award, 2021; CT-Society of Professional Journalists, 1st Place, health reporting 2021; CT-Society of Professional Journalists, 1st Place, diversity reporting, 2021; CT-Society of Professional Journalists, 1st Place, data reporting, 2021; and more.

C-HIT consistently worked with students in the journalism programs at University of Connecticut, Quinnipiac University, and Southern Connecticut State University, on research for stories, while providing the next generation of journalists with practical reporting experience, also operating summer investigative journalism workshops for high school students.

C-HIT  received start-up funding from the Ethics & Excellence in Journalism Foundation and from the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut. Other foundations that supported C-HIT’s work since 2010 include the Connecticut Health Foundation, The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.

As C-HIT was ending its run, a new journalistic endeavor was announced by Connecticut native, ground-breaking consumer advocate and former Presidential candidate Ralph Nader.  Nader, of Winsted, plans to address the scarcity of news in Winsted and five surrounding towns by launching a weekly newspaper, Hartford Business Journal reported.

The pilot edition of The Winsted Citizen is slated for publication in early 2023. It will cover Winsted, Hartland, Riverton, Colebrook, Norfolk and New Hartford. It will be based in an office on Main Street in Winsted, and aims to respond to the “news vacuum” in local news coverage. Nader has selected veteran Connecticut journalist Andy Thibault, who currently teaches journalism and communication at the University of New Haven, to serve as editor and publisher.

The newspaper will operate as a nonprofit organization, generating revenue from three sources: advertising, subscriptions and donations.  It will have an online presence, as well as a print edition.  Nader told HBJ he believes a newspaper can be self-sustaining if readers support it.

According to the Library of Congress, the former Winsted Citizen was last published in 1983.