The Bellingham Herald is the most widely read local news source in Whatcom County, reaching more than 57,000 local readers through The Bellingham Herald and BellinghamHerald.com each day. Our product can be found across several platforms including print, desktop and mobile sites, iPhone and Android applications, and an eEdition.

We believe we have a responsibility to our readers and advertisers to make our products a reflection of this incredible place we call home. We are proud to produce news and information that creates discussion and dialogue in our community, and provides advertising solutions for local businesses. We are committed to partnering with local organizations that share our vision of making Whatcom County a better place to live.

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Coverage Area: Whatcom County, Washington, is the most northwestern county in the contiguous United States. Whatcom County comprises the towns of Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine, Sumas, Nooksack, Everson, as well as the communities of Acme, Alger, Birch Bay, Bow, Custer, Deming, Glacier, Kendall, Point Roberts, Sudden Valley and Van Zandt, as well as other settlements and communities.

Employees: 30

Circulation: 8,719 daily; 11,768 Sunday (2018); eEdition: 2,150.

Circulation area: Home delivery is available throughout most parts of Whatcom County. The few exceptions are east of the town of Glacier and south of Alger and Larrabee State Park, as well as Point Roberts, a peninsula accessible only though British Columbia, Canada.

Average Web Traffic:

• Page Views: 4.2 million monthly (2017)

• Unique Visitors: 657,105 monthly (2017)

Community Contributions: Exceeding $25,000 a year in cash and in-kind donations. (2017)

Founded: The tri-weekly Fairhaven Herald began publishing in 1890. In 1903, the cities around the bay (Sehome, Whatcom and Fairhaven) consolidated into the city of Bellingham. It was at this time that the paper first used the name “The Bellingham Herald.” The Herald operation endured three moves before settling in 1926 at the then-newly constructed “Herald Building.” The building is now a Bellingham landmark. In 2019, The Herald moved to the Barkley District. The lengthy ownership of Sidney Albert “Sam” Perkins and his heirs, begun in 1911, continued until 1967 when the family sold The Herald to Federated Publications. In 1971 Federated Publications merged with Gannett Co., Inc. Online news at BellinghamHerald.com was launched in 2000. McClatchy purchased The Bellingham Herald in June 2006 from Knight Ridder, which had purchased the company from Gannett in 2005.

McClatchy News Ethics Policy

These ethical guidelines for McClatchy newsrooms outline the values and standards that guide our journalism. No policy can address every conflict that may arise in our day-to-day work. It’s the responsibility of each McClatchy journalist to use good judgment and confer with news managers if the answer to an ethical question is not completely clear.

McClatchy News AI guidelines

Readers’ trust is McClatchy Media’s most valuable asset, and that is why we want to let you know about the artificial intelligence technology and automation we are using in an effort to better serve our audience. Transparency will always be the rule to live by.

Here’s a closer look at how AI is being used across our News division.

This story was originally published May 9, 2012 at 12:01 AM.