Thank you for your support of expanding Whatcom news coverage in The Herald
Update on June 11: Many more thanks! With such strong response from supporters, we’ve extended the fundraising campaign. You can donate here.
We’re in the final days of our spring fundraising campaign in support of our new reporter covering Native American affairs. Thank you to the many donors who have helped us raise almost $4,000.
Whenever we’ve asked for help, Whatcom residents have responded. Not just with cash, but with comments such as “It’s vital for communities to have local reporting.”
And, importantly, you have supported us with subscriptions to The Bellingham Herald. Our paid audience is up 14% year over year. I hope you’ll share the need to support local reporting to your friends and neighbors. We have multiple subscription offers at bellinghamherald.com/subscribe. There’s even a spring deal online.
I’ve been preparing for Natasha Brennan to join us June 1, focusing on tribes across Washington, including the Nooksack Tribe and Lummi Nation. She’ll cover the tribes’ impact on our local communities, environment and politics, as well as traditions, culture and equity issues.
Natasha joins us in partnership with Report for America, which is placing about 300 journalists in more than 200 newsrooms this year. Report for America pays a portion of the reporters’ salaries; local newsrooms cover the rest.
There’s still time to help support this local reporting at bellinghamherald.com/donate. Donations are tax-deductible through Journalism Funding Partners.
Your neighbors have already joined us. Here’s a sampling of the comments on the donation website:
“Thank you for your continued coverage of local issues. And especially, the coverage and support of Lummi and Indigenous nations issues.”
“Our friends and neighbors in the tribal community deserve to have writers that have knowledge of their unique history, and current culture and their contributions to our society which are often overlooked. Thank you for bringing this position to our paper.”
“Congratulations on this new position! The Herald has increased my awareness and appreciation my Lummi and Nooksack neighbors; I’m looking forward to even more of the same now.”
“Glad to support increased news coverage of Native American communities.”
“So thankful to Lummi and Nooksack for all they do. Thank you for helping vaccinate our communities. Hope this new position continues to highlight the amazing actions of tribal nations and citizens.”
Intern introduction
I’m also delighted to announce the Ysabelle Kempe is joining us June 14 as our summer/fall reporting intern. She’s a recent graduate of Northeastern University in Boston. Her resume lists her interests as “Climate change/sustainability, education, rural communities, narrative storytelling, and chocolate.” She’s going to be a great addition to Whatcom County.
Most recently she’s been a State Climate Policy Network Fellow at Climate XChange in Boston. She interned at the Guidepost in Madrid, Spain, and has written for the Boston Globe.
COVID coverage
As our state and nation begin to open up from the COVID-19 pandemic, our coverage is following reader interest and starting to shift away from case and vaccination numbers and doubling down on the impacts of the pandemic in government spending, business recovery and elsewhere.
Your questions and comments have helped shape our COVID coverage for more than a year. Please keep them coming as we all navigate this reopening. We’re still working remotely, but you can email me at jshirley@bhamherald.com or leave a message at 360-715-2261.
I’m so excited to partner with the community in this expanded coverage. If you have insights or ideas to share with our new reporter, please contact us at newsroom@bellinghamherald.com.
This story was originally published May 21, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
