More than a half-dozen Washington newspapers in mid-August published
an op-ed by LWVWA President Mary Coltrane and state board member Dee Anne Finken about the LWVWA study, "
The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy."
The authors used the news of the early August police raid on the Marion County Record in Kansas as a jumping-off point for the op-ed, saying the incident “should remind us of the vital role local newspapers play throughout the country, serving us all.”
The Salish Current, Tacoma Weekly, South Seattle Emerald, Wenatchee World, Kitsap Sun, Cascadia Daily News, and The Chronicle of Chehalis and Centralia were among the news outlets that published the piece. The op-ed that appeared in the Salish Current also featured details about local League efforts in Skagit, Whatcom, and San Juan counties in support of expanding awareness about the importance of local news.
President Coltrane said expanding awareness about the impact of the decline is key in the League’s efforts to empower voters and defend democracy. “As our study indicates, robust local news is critical for people to be able to be active in their communities and participate with their local government.”
After the study was completed, members reached consensus on a League position on Local News. Most recently, the position enabled League leadership to advocate for the successful passage of WA Senate Bill 5199, which enables publishers to seek an exemption from the Business & Occupations tax.
You can read the op-ed in each of the following publications:
