Editor's note: Like news publications across Washington and the United States, The Daily Record in Ellensburg has been hard hit by the local news decline, losing staff and reducing coverage of the communities it serves. The LWVWA’s 2023 study, “The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy,” reported the average number of pages in the Record’s Sunday edition dropped from 26 in 2004 to 12 in 2020. The newsstand price also doubled, from 50 cents to $1. Once published six days a week, it is now published four days a week. Finally, a recent circulation count for the Record was 5,523 while the region’s Community Connect Facebook page reported more than 12,000 member followers in Kittitas County, further evidence the reduced coverage is prompting readers to turn to social media for information.
By Maureen McKinney, Outreach/Communications, LWV of Kittitas County
For the past few years, The Daily Record in Ellensburg, published by Adams Publishing and serving Kittitas County, has regularly published articles prepared by members of the League of Women Voters of Kittitas County.
The articles appear in the Record’s opinion section, published under the header “Guest Viewpoint.” The Record published13 of our articles in 2024, with that number nearly doubling to 24 in 2025.
The subject matter has varied from voting security to Hispanic National Heritage Month, to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to support of local news in all formats.
Among the titles on recent stories are “The U.S. Postal Service Still Essential,” “Parade with Us (Join us in celebrating and participating in the Ellensburg Pride Parade),” and “We Can’t Do This without Journalistic Standards.”
We’ve taken on this project because citizens need fair, truthful and in-depth information about key issues at all levels. Sadly, too many people rely on a single source for their news, leaving them with only bits of information, all too often featuring mis- and disinformation, rather than facts and reality.
The League’s reputation, the result of our practice of careful study and member consensus on issues, contributes to readers believing the content we produce is trustworthy.
Nine local League members have taken up their pens to contribute these articles. All the while, they adhere to League positions on issues, offering their own person touch.
Click HERE to access the articles published in 2024 and 2025.
Contact us at info@kittitasleague.org if your local League would like to learn more about our project. Perhaps your local news outlet would like you to contribute your insights.
