Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low 57F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..
Tonight
Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low 57F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Columbia Gorge News celebrates its fifth birthday April 1 (no joke) with customized cookies by Dani's Kitchen (and coffee from Dog River). We sincerely thank everyone for the support we've received.Â
Columbia Gorge News staff at our office in The Dalles in 2022: Noah Noteboom, Jacob Bertram, Kelsie Cowart, Alana Lackner, LisaAnn Kawachi, Chelsea Marr, Tanya Lindsley and Trisha Walker.Â
Columbia Gorge News celebrates its fifth birthday April 1 (no joke) with customized cookies by Dani's Kitchen (and coffee from Dog River). We sincerely thank everyone for the support we've received.Â
Trisha Walker photo
Walking into the Columbia Gorge News office Tuesday morning, April 1. Thanks Dani's Kitchen for the custom cookies.
I am excited that Columbia Gorge News is celebrating our fifth birthday this week on April 1. It’s a big milestone for both me and my staff as we continue providing an essential service to our community — news you can rely on and trust, no matter if you live in the east or west ends of the Gorge.
When we published our first edition as Columbia Gorge News on April 8, 2020, we were in the first weeks of a global pandemic, and we weren’t sure what the future would hold. Working from home became the norm for staff and, with masking required, we never saw anyone’s full face unless it was on our weekly Zoom call. True connection was a challenge.
Columbia Gorge News staff at our office in The Dalles in 2022: Noah Noteboom, Jacob Bertram, Kelsie Cowart, Alana Lackner, LisaAnn Kawachi, Chelsea Marr, Tanya Lindsley and Trisha Walker.Â
CGN file photo
Many of my staff and I have spent our careers in the news industry, and we all believe in the value of local news. It is because of that belief — and in our community — that I was determined to give newspaper ownership a try. With the closing of three 100-year-old newspapers March 31, 2020, we not only had to separate ourselves from our former parent company (not an easy process regardless, and made harder by pandemic closures), but make a fresh start during unprecedented times.
I didn’t do it alone. I had an amazing amount of support, and volunteers stepped up to help. An attorney and an accountant, both Hood River Rotarians, helped me do what was needed to make Columbia Gorge News a legitimate, legal business. An Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association staff member helped get us set up on QuickBooks. And a handful of staff from the just-disbanded Eagle Newspapers showed up asking what they could do to help. It was a loyal group who, lucky for me, didn’t truly know what it was to not work — even during COVID.
We had to move fast in order to remain on our printing schedule, and we didn’t miss a day of printing or distribution. Our ugly masthead on day one transformed into the version we use today to represent the Gorge (see thumbnails of our front pages, A1).
It’s not easy being a news media company, and today there are fewer independent news organizations nationwide. Rising costs for independent news outlets make it incredibly (and increasingly) difficult to break even. That is just one reason larger corporations are buying out the little guys. We hear that fewer people are reading newspapers today and, although print has declined, 66% of U.S. adults get their news from websites or apps (Pew Research 2024). This tells me that we — newspapers or news websites — are still a trusted source for information.
Unfortunately, fewer are paying for the news we provide, and 63% of adults believe newspaper outlets are doing well financially (Pew Research 2024). But overall, the vast majority of adults — 85% — say local news outlets are important to the wellbeing of their communities.
That’s both sad and amazing to hear. We are in a state of constant change here on the news front, but we are dedicated to continuing this work for as long as possible. We value the trust and support you give us each week.
If you want to give us a birthday present, that’s easy — subscribe, for you or a friend.
Thank you for believing in local news. It is truly an honor to serve our communities.
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