The results of our 2026 reader survey are in, and they tell us something important: The Kent Dispatch is making a measurable difference in our community.
Seventy-two readers took the time to share their thoughts, and the results demonstrate that we have become an essential and trusted information source for Kent and beyond.
Over three-quarters of respondents read us weekly. Nearly two-thirds told us they attend community events because of our coverage. More than half said they visited a local business or restaurant after reading about it here.
This is not just readership. This is impact.
What you like to read
We asked which topics matter most to you. Here’s what you said:
Community events topped the list with 78 percent of respondents saying they want to read about happenings like the Kent 250 Celebration and the Kent Center School 8th grade graduation.
Sixty-seven percent of respondents enjoy reading stories about local people, and 65 percent are interested in staying current with municipal-level discussions and decisions at town board and commission meetings. Additionally, 64 percent of respondents are also interested in area debates, like the wake surfing ban on Lake Waramaug and the vote on speed cameras.
Our coverage inspires you to act
Perhaps the most telling part of the survey was what readers told us they have actually done because of something they read about.
Because of our reporting, 65 percent of respondents have attended a community event, 58 percent have visited a local business or restaurant, 53 percent have talked about a topic we covered and 39 percent told a friend about The Kent Dispatch.
This is what local journalism is supposed to do.
None of this happens without YOU
It is thanks to your incredible financial support that The Kent Dispatch has made such a meaningful impact.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, our operation is entirely donor-funded. We provide free news, with no paywalls and no outside ownership.
If you have helped support us in the past, we are incredibly grateful. As we begin a new fiscal year this month, we hope you can continue to support us by making another donation. If you have not supported us before, we invite you to do so now.
A tax-deductible donation of any size at kentdispatch.org/donate or by check to Kent News Inc., PO Box 532, Kent, CT 06757, goes straight to keeping this work going.