Former DCist journalists are launching a local news site

A group of former WAMU and DCist journalists is raising money to launch a new nonprofit local news outlet.

Why it matters: Washingtonians mourned the closure of beloved longtime site DCist earlier this year, which provided critical area reporting at a time when local news outlets are in decline.

The big picture: The group aims to launch The 51st this fall, its co-founders tell Axios. The worker-run outlet would include a newsletter and website. (And, yes, its name is a nod to the District not having statehood.)

• They're looking to fundraise $250,000 to cover basic costs.

What they're saying: The 51st will cover local issues like D.C.'s affordability crisis, how-tos for living here, the city's culture and "investigations that hold bad actors to account," says co-founder Abigail Higgins.

• The group plans to host listening sessions with area residents to crowdsource coverage topics, and will hire freelancers from each ward.

The intrigue: The 51st follows a trend of area journalists keeping regional coverage alive via their own startups as many local outlets shutter.

• Being worker-led also gives journalists autonomy over their publication: "We're not only going to be making collective decisions between ourselves and our community about what we cover, but also the direction of our newsroom and the structure and the decision-making in our newsroom," says Higgins.

Catch up quick: WAMU abruptly shut down DCist and laid off 15 staffers in February — a move that saw a public reckoning between current and former employees and management.

• WAMU acquired DCist in 2018 after it was shut down in 2017 by then-parent company Gothamist .