Bruce Putterman is CT Mirror’s publisher and CEO, responsible for the strategic direction of the organization, revenue generation, product innovation, reader engagement, and all business operations.
Before joining CT Mirror in 2017 Bruce owned and operated a West Hartford-based consulting practice for 16 years, providing strategic planning and marketing services to more than 50 nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, public agencies, private equity firms, and other for-profit clients. His interest in journalism dates back to his college years when he worked in commercial radio and TV news. Bruce served as an elected member of the West Hartford Board of Education from 2003 through 2015, including three years as chair of the board.
He has a Bachelor of Arts in History and an M.B.A. in Marketing from Cornell University.
Summary
Bruce Putterman on Why Local Journalism Still Matters in Connecticut
Bruce Putterman, publisher and CEO of The Connecticut Mirror, visited Darien to share a compelling case for the importance of state and local journalism in an era when many communities are becoming “news poor.” Speaking to a local audience, Putterman offered an inside look at how the Mirror has grown into a statewide digital news force—and why its mission to inform and hold government accountable is more crucial than ever.
Founded in 2010 as a response to deep layoffs at the Hartford Courant, especially within its State Capitol press corps, the Connecticut Mirror now boasts 23 journalists, up from just 9 when Putterman spoke to the same group pre-COVID. That growth, he said, is not accidental. A pivotal $1 million grant from the American Journalism Project in 2019 enabled the Mirror to invest in revenue-generating staff and long-term sustainability—allowing it to thrive while other local outlets, like the Darien Times, have withered.
The Mirror operates as a nonprofit, nonpartisan, digital-only outlet focused on public policy, government, and politics. While it avoids daily breaking news, it offers in-depth coverage on topics like the state budget, criminal justice reform, education,and housing. It’s free to readers, funded 90% by philanthropy—from $5 donors to six-figure contributors—and about 5% each from advocacy ads and licensing fees paid by publications like the Hartford Courant.
One of the most critical roles the Mirror plays, Putterman emphasized, is investigative journalism from a non-partisan perspective. He cited a recent Republican press conference where posters illustrating alleged corruption in the Lamont administration drew two-thirds of their stories from the Mirror’s reporting. “That shows we’re doing our job,” Putterman said. “Depending on who you ask, we’re seen as either too liberal or too aggressive toward Democrats. That’s a sign we’re striking the right balance.”
Still, challenges abound. Putterman described a state in which “news deserts” may be rare, but “news poverty” is rampant. Since 2008, Connecticut has lost 65% of its newspaper newsroom jobs. Many towns lack any regular media scrutiny. First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky noted during the event that in his year and a half in office, he’s met only one reporter—and has filled the information gap through direct-to-public video updates with Darien TV79.
Putterman acknowledged this dynamic, sharing that the Mirror is beginning to hire “community engagement reporters” in cities like Bridgeport and Hartford—both poor and undercovered areas—to connect statewide policy with real-life impact. He’s also open to new models, including partnerships with “hyperlocal” digital outlets like Nancy on Norwalk and training citizen journalists through national initiatives like the Documenters program.
He fielded several questions about expanding coverage to include business and healthcare systems. Putterman said they’ve made progress, having hired an economic development reporter who was recently promoted to editor, but admitted there’s more to do. “We should be looking at broader forces shaping the Fairfield County economy,” he said, including the regional transformation of healthcare providers like Stamford Hospital.
Artificial intelligence, he clarified, is not used to write any articles but has been useful in scraping and cleaning disorganized public data sets—particularly from state agencies still reliant on inconsistent PDF formats. “There’s always a human being at the end of any AI process,” he said. However, he noted that AI might someday help spot local reporting trends by scanning transcribed meeting minutes from Connecticut’s 169 municipalities.
Audience members pressed Putterman on whether he could see a path toward more consistent regional coverage, especially in Fairfield County, where many residents feel overlooked by Hartford-centric reporting. Putterman agreed that the Mirror must do more to diversify both its geographic sourcing and its audience, which currently skews older, white, and affluent. He noted their own survey showed the lowest satisfaction with regional coverage came from readers in Fairfield County.
“The gravitational pull of New York is strong here,” he said. “But we all live in Connecticut. We should understand what’s happening across the state.”
He also tackled questions about misinformation and disinformation. Connecticut, he said, doesn’t face the same level of coordinated disinformation campaigns seen in other states. However, trust in national media remains low, while local and state outlets still benefit from community credibility. That trust is critical to preserving the civic function journalism serves.
Asked to describe his vision for local news in Connecticut, Putterman painted a modest but hopeful picture. “We’re not looking to grow aggressively right now. We need to digest the growth we’ve had and make our systems stronger,” he said. But long term, he envisions the Mirror acting as a kind of “portal” for trusted local journalism around the state, potentially linking to partner content alongside their own reporting.
As the event ended, Putterman reminded attendees of one core idea: state and local government decisions shape residents’ lives as much—if not more—than what happens in Washington. “And yet,” he said, “no one’s paying attention. That’s why we’re here.”
Arranged by Charles Salmans