Cascadia Daily News, a new Bellingham-based publication serving Northwest Washington, will begin publishing online the week of Jan. 24.
Based in Whatcom County but also covering happenings that impact Skagit and Island counties, CDN will break news daily at cascadiadaily.com and, starting in March, distribute a robust printed edition weekly.
At the outset, access to the website will be free, with print and digital subscriptions available later. Cascadia Daily News is supported by David Syre, a fourth-generation Whatcom County resident who has contributed to and invested in the community for decades.
“Across the country, we have been seeing a surge of community journalism at a time of renewed interest in local government,” Syre said. “Community journalism — the kind that reports on the lives of our people while also serving as an important check on local government — is sorely needed here. I have a fondness for Bellingham and Whatcom County, and it has been my goal to return locally owned and independently operated daily journalism to the people here.”
About Cascadia Daily News
Here’s how CDN’s executive editor, Ron C. Judd, describes the paper: “The new, locally owned and controlled newspaper, produced by a team of full-time, professional journalists, won’t be just a fleeting web page. It will be a hands-on newspaper created in a brick-and-mortar newsroom on Bellingham’s State Street by local reporters, columnists, editors and visual journalists, posting stories live online and weekly in print.”
In carrying out their work, CDN staff like to say they will be “unapologetically pro-democracy.” You can read about that mindset on the website, where you’ll also learn about the publisher’s commitment to independent, transparent and local coverage.
Telling the story
Cascadia Daily News’ public launch — filled with news articles now being developed — is just weeks away. The team of writers and reporters crafting the first issue is in place. Since the paper was announced in August 2021, Cascadia Daily News has made several key hires. Staff members include Ralph Schwartz, local government reporter; Amy Kepferle, arts and entertainment editor and reporter; Hailey Palmer, sports editor and reporter; Andy Bronson, photographer; Hailey Hoffman, visual journalist and education reporter; and Julia Lerner, staff environmental reporter. More information about each member of the CDN team is available online.
There’s a role for you, too
Here’s how you can learn more and engage with Cascadia Daily News:
- Connect with CDN on social media: Twitter (@cascadiadaily), Instagram (@cascadiadaily), Facebook (@cascadiadaily), LinkedIn (@cascadiadaily), Reddit (@cascadiadailynews).
- Sign up for launch updates here: https://www.cascadiadaily.com/
- Explore this FAQ page: https://www.cascadiadaily.com/faq
- Read what other publications are saying about the launch of Cascadia Daily News: https://www.cascadiadaily.com/media-coverage.
- Read the paper’s News Mission Statement and ethics guidelines: https://www.cascadiadaily.com/home. Here’s a sample: “We at the Cascadia Daily News know that trust is earned. As a new publication, we enter a field that has changed more rapidly in the past 25 years than in all of journalism’s previous history. At a time when anyone can be a publisher of ‘news,’ what distinguishes professional communicators from amateurs are the values and ethics that guide their work.”
Bellingham, Whatcom County and the entire Cascadia region are vibrant, thriving and diverse communities rich in economic opportunity, educational excellence and natural beauty. To maximize the potential of this region, those who live, work and visit here need up-to-date and accurate information. They also need news that trumpets the successes of their neighbors and helps maintain a vital sense of community. The staff of Cascadia Daily News are proud to be a part of elevating local journalism in 2022.
