Nov. 15, 2020
From: Dirk Knudsen; Editor/Co-Founder
To: The Hillsboro Community
RE: Community Writers Wanted
Greetings to all;
Living and loving Hillsboro has been a passion of mine for 52 years now. I have a deep love and passion for our City and the Tualatin Valley. Many in my circle stand with me and share that love and commitment. Some of you reading this will remember the Hillsboro Argus, which was the voice of our community for over 100 years. When the Oregonian bought the Argus, it was, in my humble opinion, partly designed to oversee the death of the most heralded local newspaper in the West! When the presses stopped in 2017, the paper was not the only thing that died. On that day, true local news died, and with it, the City of Hillsboro took a step backward. The Argus will never come back. Thanks to Dianna Cribbins Francis of the Arcade Book Exchange, two decades of the newspaper were preserved. The weekly papers were bound in huge books and tossed in the garbage at the old Argus building where her business is now located. I mention Dianna because her preservation act was also an act of defiance against a world that seeks to grow and move us all quickly into the new paradigm. A world of machines and automation and cyber-networks of digital media and clouds of billions of bytes. The Herald stands with Dianna and people like her who believe that something great is worth preserving.
We have started a new online newspaper and will be publishing a small format paper that we will distribute around the Hillsboro community. The Argus and the spirit of the community live within me and everyone who will work for us. We are a Community journalism paper, and no one is going to be paid. We are covering expenses out of pocket with limited advertising paying for our website and printing costs only. No stories with blood or gore will enter our pages. That does not mean that news of community needs will not – but the focus will be to engage, inform, and celebrate Hillsboro and our people. The Hillsboro Herald will tell stories that other media do not know or will not tell.
At this juncture, we have completed our first 30 stories. That is in less than a month. We have 3 writers and are looking to add 3 to 6 more. Every part of Hillsboro will be covered (NE, SE, NW, SW) including our surrounding hills and valleys. You only need an authentic voice and genuine concern for Hillsboro and its people; you do not need to be a writer, and we format articles for grammar and punctuation. If there are community concerns, places, and people you want to share then we want you. If you have a cell phone camera and a keen eye for the stories that need to be told we want you. If you see the diversity and incredible human patchwork that is Hillsboro, Oregon, and want to tell that story…we want you. Contact us here http://hillsboroherald.com/contact-us/ or call me. The form is below for your use as well.
Regardless of if you choose to join us, I hope you will all follow the Hillsboro Herald as we look to the future and honor our past. Read our stories, send us news tips, and share the wonderful community of Hillsboro.
Very truly yours;
Dirk T Knudsen; Editor/CoFounder
