By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
When I launched this news site, a former executive editor who was super enthusiastic about the idea suggested to me such local news sites could probably only be sustainable by tapping into multiple revenue streams.
Local advertising, sure. Donations from readers. Perhaps support from a patron who believes deeply in the value of independent local news. Grants. And then those little Google or Yahoo ads sprinkled throughout that pay a few cents for each click.
Maybe even “micro-payments” – charging a little bit to read each story, but I’m not so keen on that.
On any given day however, it’s way funner to report and write a news story. And it’s no secret that I’m not all that technically savvy, so I’ve been slow to do the web development work to incorporate new elements.
I’m in between advertising sales people right now, which apparently I have been for a few months.
So yesterday, I finally took the time to add a “donate” button to the web site.
If you like what you’re reading here and would like to help support Lewis County Sirens, it’s super easy to contribute that way. Just click on the yellow button and it will take you to PayPal, a secure site to send money through.
If giving money electronically makes you uncomfortable, Lewis County Sirens’ mailing address can be found on the right sidebar under “Contact us at Lewis County Sirens“.
Meanwhile, for anyone who has wanted to advertise on Lewis County Sirens and didn’t get a response to an inquiry, please contact me directly at adminsharyn@lewiscountysirens.com
Readership just continues to grow and grow.
Last month, Lewis County Sirens tallied more than 68,000 page views. Local people who want to read quality journalism and keep current with what’s going on in their community.
Who brought you a story with photos by 8:45 a.m. on July 7 telling that the reason a freight train was idling in downtown Centralia was because police were investigating a man getting run down on the tracks?
Who brought you photos on the weekend of July 24 of the Centralia wood furniture store fully engulfed in flames – one of the most destructive fires seen in Centralia in years?
Who brought you – within 16 minutes – news of an earthquake striking near Mossyrock last month?
Who told the extensive backstory of the three men sought by the law after August’s triple homicide on Wings Way in Onalaska? And later, brought you the link between one of them and an Olympia murder suspect?
Who described two weeks ago how ATF undercover agents have been roaming gun shows in Centralia?
Who told you Friday the Centralia Factory Outlet Stores are in foreclosure?
Who told you Winlock homicide victim Jackie Lawyer was “a little fiery”, that Ron Meeks who died in his Centralia apartment fire had never lived on his own before because of a brain injury, that the 21-year-old accused of accosting a child in a public restroom is developmentally delayed, that the death of supposed runaway Morton teen Austin King was homicide – a month before the sheriff’s office acknowledged foul play was involved?
And who finally got a public comment last week from Lewis County Prosecutor Michael Golden about his election loss?
Those are just some of the stories told first, or only, on Lewis County Sirens.
The news site is also a one-stop site to check in with free-to-read newspapers surrounding Lewis County, find out who’s in jail, see summaries of court cases and monitor river levels and weather conditions to get an early heads up when storms threaten.
Choosing to advertise or to donate are two important ways to support Lewis County Sirens. However, if you appreciate a reliable source for local news, you can contribute to its success in other ways a well.
If you come across a story here you’d like to share with friends, do it. Send them a link, and spread the word that Lewis County Sirens is the place to find news daily and when it happens of crime, police, fire and courts in greater Lewis County.
If you know someone you think could benefit from advertising here, make sure they know Lewis County Sirens exists.
Also, if you happen to snap a photo of some newsworthy event, send it my way.
Even more important to the journalist in me, if you have a news tip, don’t hesitate to contact me. That’s where some of the best stories come from.
And most of all, you can simply continue to read the news here. For that, I thank each and every one of you.
Your news reporter,
Sharyn L. Decker
sharyn.decker@lewiscountysirens.com
360-748-4981 and 206-546-3638
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
What you bring to us is QUALITY reporting about the things that concern us the most: LOCAL NEWS. You don’t throw a political bend to it, but just report the facts. I’m sure there are those who say that the “facts” you report on are only what the local politicians are letting you have, but those are the people who are so clouded they can’t see anything… So when you combine quality reporting with FAST response times to breaking news, you definitely have a great thing.
Keep up the outstanding job!