By Petaluma Voice

In between interviews and deadlines, Petaluma Voice finally celebrated its April debut with an official launch party.

Our launch party setting was the rooftop of the beautifully restored 1897 Burdell Building, a former brick ice house and landmark of Petaluma history. The building serves as an allegory for our nonprofit newsroom, which is on a mission to restore another cornerstone of our community: local news.

More than 100 of our fine friends joined us on Saturday, Sept. 19, to celebrate what Petaluma Voice started five months ago – a dream of creating an independent local newsroom, with four experienced journalists and editors behind it.

The celebration was shared with people across Petaluma who believe in our mission. We were joined by those we report on, including civic leaders and locals we have profiled. Also on hand were others lending their talents and time to Petaluma Voice, including contributors, interns, and board members. And the party served as an opportunity for some of our paid members – who support free local news for all out of their own pocket – to be thanked for their generosity with great food, drink, and music.

Why are so many people concerned about local news?

You’ve probably heard the statistics. We've lost nearly three quarters of our journalists and more than 3,500 local newspapers across the country since the early 2000s. Almost one-third of America’s counties lack a single local reporter.

An old newspaper made its way to our party. It wasn’t a copy of the famous 1987 issue of the New York Times, which at 12 pounds and 1,612 pages broke a Guinness World Record. But it was an average Sunday newspaper from 23 years ago, over an inch thick and 2.6 pounds.

Most newspapers these days are like a wafer-thin mint – weighed in ounces, not pounds – a visceral reminder of how the ink-stained business has forever changed. Every ounce lost from local newspapers represents a loss of reporting. A loss of oversight. A loss of institutional knowledge. A loss of news standards.

We at Petaluma Voice believe local news is essential to the health of our community. Already in our short journey, we are turning the local news narrative around. Like many modern newsrooms, we don’t print a physical copy of our newspaper. Nonetheless, we strive to be a publication weighty with news, insight, and connection. We believe community news is a right, not a privilege.

Even as the newspaper business has moved online, reducing or eliminating printing costs, many local publications have struggled to survive. That’s why we've embraced a promising new business model that ensures universal access to information and editorial independence. Our nonprofit, reader-supported newsroom is without ads or paywalls.

We intend to be one of the bright spots in local journalism: a newsroom that is growing, not fading. Our dedication to the craft is for you, our readers.

If you are reading this, we know you care about Petaluma. You care about your community’s traditions and livelihood. You care about your friends and neighbors. You care about accountability and democracy.

You are the reason local news will survive in Petaluma, and all of us at Petaluma Voice owe you a debt of gratitude. We launched Petaluma Voice for you, not for us. As an independent, nonpartisan, locally operated newsroom, Petaluma Voice belongs to the community.

Thank you for reading. 

– Tobias Young, editor, on behalf of Crissy Pascual and Jennifer Sawhney, founders; Nate Seltenrich, editor; Emily Charrier, internship coordinator; and our board members, contributors, and supporters.