On this week's Inland Journal...
Many local news outlets in the Inland Northwest, including Spokane Public Radio, have just a few reporters to cover stories in their communities. Washington State University communications professor Ben Shors and Rob Zeaske from Report for America about their plans to make sure that each of Washington's 39 counties have at least one local news reporter.
"We want to make sure that the journalists have a fantastic experience, but also make sure that we're providing support around editorial, fundraising, business operations of local newsrooms, because we know that that's going to be critical both to good reporting from those very reporters, but also for the ultimate systematic sustainability of the news ecosystem in Washington."
And we’ll check in at the midpoint of the Washington legislative session with Stevens County Republican Senator Shelly Short.
"I think if I were to step back and just take a look at it overall regardless of whether it's legislation or budget, I would say it's about the state’s influence into our local communities, the state wanting to go a particular direction when our communities don't...The state wants to usurp itself on top of where we live and where we work and do business."
