Because it matters

After The Henrico Citizen lost all its advertising revenue in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, owner Thomas Lappas, ’98, weighed his options. Stop production? Or keep investing in his nonprofit newsroom? Lappas chose to persevere but with a twist: The newspaper would stop publishing its weekly print edition—which it had done for nearly two decades—and instead move entirely online.

At a time when small independent newsrooms are disappearing, Lappas estimates the Citizen has increased its readership more than fourfold since before the pandemic to nearly 100,000 readers.

“News is more than a business,” Lappas said. “It’s a mission. If you care about your community, you should care about journalism. Because it matters.”

After graduating from the University of Richmond, Lappas never imagined he’d start a newspaper that would thrive for over 20 years. As a journalism major and senior sports editor at The Collegian, he envisioned a career in sports journalism. However, after two years at a community newspaper in Henrico County, he chose to go his own way to better support the community he cherished. 

On September 20, 2001, The Henrico Citizen debuted. Despite initial doubts about the time of its release, just days after 9/11, Lappas saw its impact, saying, “Maybe it wasn’t the worst time—people needed something locally to grab onto.”

The University of Richmond has provided a lifeline for the publication in the form of internship candidates. Over the years, Lappas estimates that he has hired over 50 students to work for The Citizen, Lappas has also taught several classes in the journalism department. This connection to the next generation of journalists has allowed him to keep a fresh perspective on how he runs his business and what to focus on in the news. “[UR] is a really special place for me,” Lappas said.

Editor's note: This story was contributed by current journalism student Lucy Jones, '25.