Can local news make a comeback?

To The Eagle,

Last fall, I did a column lamenting the loss of local news coverage with the closure of the Columbia County Chronicle and Chief newspaper.

As someone who spent over seven years working as a reporter, I’ve become all too familiar with the ups and downs of that industry. Almost every news outlet I ever worked for either changed owners or went out of business.

Those unfortunate changes and realities eventually inspired me to seek a different career path, even though I absolutely loved what I was doing.

I recently had the chance to stop into the Wahkiakum County Eagle newspaper office in downtown Cathlamet. Walking through the front door, I was treated to the familiar smell of freshly printed newspapers. It reminded me how rewarding it always was to hold a paper that was hot off the press after spending all week putting it together.

Days later, I met with that publication’s editor, Kirk McKnight.

The Eagle has started providing dedicated coverage to Clatskanie. In fact, that community has its own section included in that newspaper.

Those efforts have paid off, as it’s now the paper of record for both the City of Clatskanie and its local school district.

What I discovered after meeting with Kirk is that The Eagle is interested in doing the same thing in Rainier. But in order to do that, they’ll need to have a base of support.

That includes businesses in town that are willing to advertise and serve as locations where people can pick up the latest copy of the paper, and enough subscribers to justify having that dedicated coverage.

Aside from that, The Eagle is looking for writers, photographers and columnists willing to contribute local content. Its business model consists mostly of citizen journalists, which enables that paper to cover as many areas as it does.

Anyone interested in helping The Eagle establish a presence in Rainier is encouraged to reach out to them at 360-795-3391 or info@waheagle.com.

If enough Rainier area residents are willing to step up to the plate, we may very well end up having local news coverage again. And I think we’ll be all the better for it.

W. Scott Jorgensen,

Rainier City Administrator