Op-Ed: Why Local Journalism Still Matters — and Needs You

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Gary B. Larson in his role as editor of the Whidbey Record in 1972.  [/caption]

By Gary B. Larson

President, Jefferson County Beacon Board of Directors

On World Press Freedom Day, we honor the critical role of independent journalism in holding power to account. While international threats to free expression often dominate the headlines, the fight for a free press happens right here at home — in communities like ours.

After graduating from college in 1972, I became editor of the Whidbey Record in Langley. That small weekly paper taught me something that’s even more true today: Local journalism is a cornerstone of democracy. It helps residents understand the decisions being made around them — and how to get involved. It connects neighbors. It builds civic trust.

And when it’s working well, it asks tough questions of public officials while still treating everyone — readers, reporters, and elected leaders — as part of the same community.

But good local journalism doesn’t just happen. It takes time, care, and resources. And it’s under real pressure.

Starting in graduate school in the 1970s, I learned how newspaper chains were already swallowing up independent newsrooms. Today, those concerns have multiplied.

“When it works well, it asks tough questions of public officials while still treating everyone—readers, reporters, and elected leaders—as part of the same community.

But good local journalism doesn’t just happen. It takes time, care, and resources. And it’s under real pressure.”

Many local newspapers — including dailies and weeklies across Western Washington — are now gone or are owned by national corporations that extract profits while cutting back on local coverage.

Fortunately, we’re not without options in Jefferson County. We’re lucky to have multiple local news outlets: The Leader, the Peninsula Daily News, KPTZ Radio, and newer digital publications. Each has a role to play.

The Jefferson County Beacon — now marking its first anniversary — adds a vital voice to this mix.

The Beacon is different. As a worker-directed news nonprofit, it’s rooted in the community it serves. Its small, part-time, but dedicated team covers stories other outlets might miss — or tell from a different perspective.

It doesn’t just report what happened; it also explores why things happened, how people are responding, and what might come next. That focus on deeper, solutions-oriented journalism helps readers understand complex local issues, not just react to them.

Good journalism doesn’t just inform — it equips. Reporting should focus on what matters most to readers and their communities, helping them navigate local challenges and opportunities. News can be more than a record of events; it can be a tool for engagement, understanding, and action.

Supporting journalism like that means more than clicking a link or skimming a headline. It means subscribing, donating, advertising — and even supporting the local businesses that advertise.

It means staying engaged, even when coverage challenges your assumptions or raises uncomfortable questions. That’s part of the job: to shine a light, not just on what we want to see but also on what we need to know.

When local media disappears, it’s not just stories that get lost. Public trust erodes. Government gets less transparent. Citizens feel more disconnected. But when local media thrives — diverse, independent, responsive — communities thrive too.

So today, let’s celebrate press freedom not just as an abstract value but also as a living practice. Let’s support the journalists doing the work — right here in our backyard.

Gary Larson worked to help people learn about, understand, influence and use their local government services. With a degree in journalism and political science, he was editor of the Whidbey Record in Langley, covered schools and City Hall as a daily newspaper reporter/photographer, served as an information officer for public and nonprofit agencies, and taught journalism. In Port Townsend, he’s volunteered with the Friends of Fort Worden, JeffCo Democrats, Centrum and Skillmation.