Loss of Herald staff a loss for journalism, democracy

Published 1:30 am Sunday, June 23, 2024

Friday, the League of Women Voters of Snohomish County issued the following statement in response to the news on Wednesday that Carpenter Media Group announced the layoffs of 12 newsroom staff at The Daily Herald (“Roughly half of Everett Herald news staff laid off,” The Herald, June 20):

The League of Women Voters of Snohomish County supports the staff at the Everett Herald and is deeply aware of the impacts this decision has on their lives, as well as the effect it will have on providing independent news in our area.

Local journalism matters, and as we have learned from the published study by the League of Women Voters of Washington, we know it affects democracy. This is not a journalism problem, it’s a democracy problem.

We will look to Carpenter Media Group to uphold their duty to provide credible in-depth news and continue the valuable long standing work of the Everett Herald.

Karen Crowley

Snohomish