This year has been like no other I can remember. I don’t know exactly how we’ll move past this turbulent moment in US history. But I believe that honest, uncompromised journalism is a critical force for helping our country move forward, especially with some of our biggest news organizations wavering or in retreat.

What a newsroom chooses to spotlight reveals its underlying values, and the Guardian’s global perspective and people-centered approach guides our editorial decision-making every day.

Guardian reporting is factual, free from corporate and political influence, and grounded in humane values – an essential, trustworthy, and moral counterpoint to the darkness and dishonesty rampant in public life and discourse.

By necessity, we spend a lot of our resources reporting on outrages and atrocities – from extrajudicial killings carried out by the Pentagon, to the White House’s campaign of retribution against its declared enemies, to the inhumane assault on immigrants and the rolling back of decades of progress on civil rights.

This work right now is urgent and critical, as so many vital institutions and liberties are under attack. But to us, the resurgence of grassroots civic action has been one of the most underreported news stories in the US this year.

Last week, we announced the creation of our new movements reporting team, dedicated to amplifying stories about the people and organizations fighting for fundamental rights and liberties at this critical moment in the US. We have been heartened by readers’ responses to our reporting on these new movements, which help inspire hope for a different future.

Today is Giving Tuesday, the most important fundraising day of our year. If you can support us today, it would mean a great deal. What we raise in these 24 hours helps determine the resources we have available to us in 2026.

One final thing. Inevitably, this column will reach people too financially stretched to contribute to our appeal. Please know this: our work is free to all for a reason, and we are proud to make it so. The fantastic thing about having this voluntary community of supporters is that we are exactly that – a community that has each other’s backs.

Thanks to all of you for being a part of it. Your readership and your support both fund our work and inspire our hope.

You can make a Giving Tuesday gift to the Guardian here. All support is gratefully received, but a recurring contribution – even a small monthly amount – is most impactful, helping sustain our work throughout the year ahead. It takes just 37 seconds to give. Thank you.