La Conner Community News has been publishing for nearly 18 months now, so we thought this was a good time to ask you for a report card: How are we doing?
You answered — and we are all ears.
Some of what you said made us proud. Some made us think. Much of it gave us a clear to-do list for the coming months.
Thank you.
The readers who took our July survey gave us an average rating of 4.37 out of five, with 89% rating the newspaper a four or five.
One reader wrote simply: “Thank you. I really miss newspapers.”
La Conner Community News was started by this community, for this community — and it remains yours. Those of us who work here are simply its stewards, entrusted with showing up, asking questions, recording what happens here and helping neighbors understand one another.
And we have important news about its future.
La Conner Community News is officially a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
This is a major step toward establishing the paper as a community institution for the long term. It also means your donations go further: Contributions are now tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and our status opens new opportunities for grants and philanthropic support for local journalism.
Your feedback is helping us decide where to focus our efforts.
Local government and civic news ranked among the information readers value most, along with community events, schools and youth, public safety, photography and Swinomish coverage.
You also want more: business and economic reporting, local voices, sports, jobs, volunteer profiles and more coverage of Shelter Bay.
We’re already getting to work.
Tuesday evening, we’re inviting local business owners to our newsroom for a conversation about how the newspaper can better serve and support our business community. We want to hear what information would be useful, what we’re missing and how we can strengthen the connection between local businesses and readers. (Interested? Email kari@laconnercommunitynews.org for the details!)
You gave us practical suggestions, too. Improve the website. Solicit more community voices. Consider tide charts, weather, jobs and real estate.
And print clearly still matters: 70% of respondents primarily read the print edition, while another 19% use multiple formats.
Perhaps one reader captured our mission best:
“Thank you for keeping our local newspaper alive. It’s a valuable (and wonderful) resource!”
Let’s keep talking! Please join publisher Kari Mar for a community update on the newspaper at 10 a.m. Aug. 27 at the La Conner Swinomish Library.
La Conner Community News is your newspaper
The people who work here are its stewards. You are what makes it possible.
Help keep local journalism local and support the reporting your community depends on. 100% of your donations go directly to reporters’ wages and the cost of printing your newspaper.
How to give
At WaFd: Drop off a check made payable to La Conner Community News.
By mail: La Conner Community News PO Box 1020 La Conner, WA 98257
At the newsroom: Drop off your contribution at our newsroom in the Pier 7 building.
We’ll be rolling out more ways to give in the coming weeks.
Local news belongs to all of us. Help us keep it strong.
