Interested in local news? Here’s a 2021 update about YachatsNews’ operations, plans for the future — and a request

 

To readers of YachatsNews:

My last update on the news site was eight months ago, so it is time to offer an update on the efforts to bring local news to south Lincoln County – and make a request for support.

I started the news site as a community service project in January 2019 with little idea how it would go. Since then it has grown from an average of 750 “unique page views” a month to currently more than 67,000 a month.

With the help of two paid freelancers, the breadth of coverage has grown from just the Yachats area, to Waldport, some overall Lincoln County issues, and to reporting on the mysteries of that great body of water just to the west. (I am looking for a freelance reporter to help cover the Waldport area, by the way.)

Since its launch, there have been 2,460 stories of all types posted on the website.

The number of people who have signed up to receive email “blasts” each Friday morning alerting them to the week’s news topped 1,000 in August. But remember, most weeks we post stories daily.

As I stated in the last update at the beginning of the year, stories we do are not universally loved. But we try to be as accurate as humanly possible, provide context when it is needed, and quickly correct mistakes when they are pointed out. The site is also unable to provide 100 percent comprehensive coverage of south Lincoln County. It’s one person, with the help of freelancers Cheryl Romano and Dana Tims, trying to bring you what we think – in a very traditional sense — are the top news and community stories of the week.

Over time, we try to seek a balance of what we cover. For every story about a contentious Yachats City Council meeting or a rogue fire chief in Waldport, there are a dozen other stories about community events, volunteers, breaking news, environmental news, business, tourism and of course, the latest on COVID-19 in this area.

The challenge to me – and the community will help decide this – is if this effort is sustainable in the long term. Does south Lincoln County – from Tenmile to Waldport — want regular, daily news in a digital format or will it go back to a situation where rumors, second- and third-hand observations and Facebook are the biggest sources of information.

I hope not.

Seeking nonprofit status and support

To make YachatsNews more sustainable long-term, I am seeking nonprofit status through an organization called the Institute for Nonprofit News, a foundation that supports large and small efforts like YachatsNews in the face of declining news coverage in many rural areas from traditional sources.

This will allow any donations to YachatsNews to be tax deductible and to help obtain local, regional and national grants. It will also require YachatsNews to set up a board of directors to oversee the business side of its operations.

The goal is to generate enough income through donations, grants and the bit of advertising now on the site to hire a full-time reporter to cover this area. (Remember, I’m an old retired guy.)

I hope to get to that goal next year – if there is support in the community for some of the necessary funds, and money elsewhere from charitable organizations and foundations.

This may be a stretch for residents of south Lincoln County who are already asked to support many worthwhile organizations trying to make a difference. We will see.

I take no money for myself out of this shoestring operation, including for any personal expenses in covering the news. My immediate goal is to just have expenses and income balance out so that I am not feeding more money into the operation.

In the meantime, here are some numbers to give you an idea of YachatsNews’ finances:

• For the first eight months of this year, income from advertising and donations totaled $5,171.
• Expenses ranging from payments to freelancers to web services to computer repair, to public records requests totaled $6,040 – or an average of $750 a month.

As you can see, the checkbook is getting low on funds. This is the third time since 2019 I have asked for monetary support. If you are so inclined, there are several ways to do this:

• Write a check and drop it into the mail to YachatsNews, P.O Box 284, Yachats, Ore., 97498;
• Use the “Donate” button on the website to contribute through PayPal. Paypal also has a feature where you set up an automatic monthly contribution – six people do that now ranging from $5 to $20 – which helps stabilize income a bit.
• Or, advertise your business or organization on the site. Not only will you gain the additional exposure that 60,000 page views a month can bring, but you will be contributing to sustaining this operation. Here is a link to rates and how to get that process started.

That’s enough for now. The main points are that the site continues to grow, there is a transition plan in the works, and it will need community support if it is to succeed in the long term. If you have ideas, comments or suggestions, please feel free to email me at YachatsNews@gmail.com or just call me at 503-970-3867 to chat.

• Quinton Smith/reporter/editor/manager/chief bottle washer