WMRA Books & Brews: Oct 14 @ Pale Fire in Harrisonburg hosted by Mary Katharine Froehlich

The WMRA Books & Brews series continues with October's pick

Trusted Source: How a Virginia Nonprofit Gained Bipartisan Support in an Era of Political Polarization,by David Poole.

In 1997, journalist David M. Poole launched a one-employee nonprofit to shine light on a blind spot in Virginia’s lax campaign finance system. Over the next quarter century, the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) assumed an increasingly larger role in state politics by addressing two crises in American democracy—the decline of newspapers and the tribalization of politics. VPAP built a sustainable business model that provided paywall-free insights into state politics. Most importantly, VPAP adhered to a fiercely independent, fact-based approach that won the trust of Republicans and Democrats alike. 

Trusted Source, written by VPAP’s founder, tells the unlikely story of how his organization revolutionized political transparency in Virginia. It describes the precarious early days when VPAP was financially dependent upon the same powerful interests it was shining a light on. Poole brings a unique perspective to some of the most vexing issues of our time: money in politics, the crisis of American newspapers, the fracturing of information sources, and the precipitous erosion of confidence in our institutions. His account provides a blueprint for plucky nonprofits and offers hope that bipartisan trust is still possible, even in times as troubled as ours.

Finally, this book serves as a modern history of campaigns and elections that have shaped the Commonwealth of Virginia. Poole had a front-row seat for much of it, and he shares what he learned with the reader.

About the author: David M. Poole is the founder of the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan compendium of

information about state politics. At a time of political polarization, Poole's dedication to accuracy and fair play have won trust across the political spectrum. 

Before VPAP, Poole was a state political reporter for the Lynchburg News & Advance and Roanoke Times. His mother's family were Scots-Irish who settled in the Valley in the 1700s. He lives in Richmond with his wife, Clare Tilton.

Stone Soup Books is proud to be apart of the WMRA's Books & Brew series. Books will be available for purchase at this event.