Readers who peruse their newspaper’s letters-to-the-editor section are more likely to see more 200-word reminders about the vital role local news plays in our democracy.
The League of Women Voters of Washington and the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association have launched a campaign of letters to the editor and opinion piece submissions to drive home that message as the nation commemorates its 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Ellen Hiatt, executive director of the 70-member WNPA, said the League and local news outlets share a number of goals. Like the press itself, “The League has informed voters, scrutinized government, hosted candidate forums and refused to let the public lose track of what its representatives are doing,” she said.
That shared purpose boosts the credibility of League members, making them the perfect writers to submit letters that emphasize the value of local news and the importance of supporting a free press.
The League, like local newspapers, Hiatt explained, “are not just nice-to-have. They are how self-government actually happens at the county and city scale.”
In April, the LWVWA approved the letter-writing project as part of the state organization’s declaration that support for local news is vital.
“As the state League’s study, ‘The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy,’ showed us, robust local news coverage is critical to having healthy communities and a true democracy,” state President Karen Crowley said.
Crowley said she and local League presidents also will submit op-ed essays detailing why the League supports local news and encouraging others to do so. The League has been a strong advocate for Sen. Marko Liias’ legislation seeking a surcharge on search engines and social media giants, which have profited from local news content while depleting local advertising revenue. The money would be allocated to local news organizations in the form of grants to be spent on reporters’ salaries.
