A Letter From the Editor: World Free Press Day
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Editor Nhatt Nichols and Quin, the official news hound. [/caption]
Opinion by Nhatt Nichols, Editor of the Jefferson County Beacon
Today is World Press Freedom Day, a celebration the United Nations established more than 30 years ago to remind everyone that a free press is essential to a functioning and ethical society and a critical force for public good.
We hear over and over again in national reporting how backwards rural people are, how our politics and policies are regressive and we need to be educated by smart, savvy urbanites.
As a journalist covering rural news nationally, I started to see small towns and rural counties as the best places for experimenting with human-centered ideas. We don’t have the luxury here of ignoring things we don’t agree with; there is every chance you’ll be stuck in line at the grocery store next to someone who believes something radically different from you. Rural communities need to be more creative, more nimble to offer support to those who need it. We are deeply interconnected, and that interconnectedness relies on reliable access to information.
The Beacon started with curiosity: Was it possible to create a trustworthy and reliable solutions-journalism news outlet for the 30,000 in Jefferson County? A year in, and the answer feels like a resounding yes. The Beacon is deeply committed to bringing you more than just what is happening; it also builds bridges across perceived divides by explaining how we got here and why each story is worthy of your attention.
All of this is done without a paywall because community news is too important for gatekeeping..
The focus on reporting for you, the public, feels more essential than ever before as attacks against the press increase and funding for public media is threatened this year. Several of the grants we’d been anticipating applying for this year are no longer being offered because of federal funding cuts, and several of our fellow nonprofit news outlets are already feeling the squeeze and considering shutting their virtual doors.
On a local level, the Quilcene School Board debated closing their public comment period following a series of comments that disagreed with their discussion on bringing bible-based curriculum to K-12 education and the rights of trans students. Many people in power do not want to be held accountable by the public; the Beacon is here to make sure they are, and to show a path forward to a more just, kind, and equitable world. It’s the neighborly thing to do.
If you have the resources to donate, we would love the help. Each issue of the Beacon takes around $600 to produce, and we are currently 100% donation-funded by local people.
Nhatt Nichols is the Editor and co-founder of the Jefferson County Beacon. She’s also a regular contributor to The Daily Yonder, a writer in residence for Seattle Public Schools, and the author of This Party of the Soft Things.
