The Hillsboro Herald is proud to announce our membership in the Online News Association (ONA), the world’s largest digital journalism association. This step comes as the Herald reaches new heights of readership and impact, including more than 2 million views on Google News in the past six months and 1.2 million more through our partnership with NewsBreak.
A Growing Reach
Founded in 2019, the Herald has published more than 700 original stories that have generated over 7 million lifetime reads. Many of these are unique, one-of-a-kind stories on issues like Intel, farmland, data centers, environmental health, and local housing policy—stories no other outlet would touch, and which have later been picked up or amplified by larger regional and national media.
Recent performance highlights include:
2M+ Google News views (past 6 months) & 1M+ Newsbreak Readers (past year)
90,000 NewsBreak impressions (past 30 days)
2,145 NewsBreak story views in one day
7,800+ reader comments this month on NewsBreak
1,547 NewsBreak followers and growing
Top recent Herald stories include:
About ONA
The Online News Association’s mission is to inspire and support innovation and excellence in digital journalism. ONA’s work centers on emerging technologies, audience engagement, innovative storytelling, new revenue models, and cultivating diverse newsroom leadership. Membership connects the Herald to a global network of journalists, technologists, and educators shaping the future of news.
Our Commitment
As we celebrate these milestones, we want to be clear about what matters most. The Herald’s mission begins and ends with Hillsboro, the people of the Tualatin Valley, and Washington County. Our commitment is to the unique and untold stories that only a hyper-local news outlet—run by long-time residents—can provide.
Unlike national outlets controlled by billionaires or corporations, the Herald is independent, community-focused, and accountable only to our readers. We are proud to be “The People’s Paper,” and with your support, we will continue to deliver watchdog reporting and original content that protects our past, informs our present, and shapes our future.
As the founder and Editor, I made it clear from the outset. The demise, or death if you will, of the Hillsboro Argus led to the loss of our community’s voice. Not just Hillsboro, but the entire Tualatin Valley. No one ever covered news like the Argus did- and when it inked its last paper, darkness fell over the land. Information that was once running like water into our homes dried up. Forces outside our valley have prospered unchecked because there was no one there to cover what was/is happening. That ended he day the Hillsboro Herald came to life. It is my goal that this shall never change. I want to thank all the community members who have sent in news tips, story ideas, and written opinion pieces for the Herald. I also want to thank the hard-working writers from around our Valley who have written for the Herald and provided rich stories and content. We seek to grow that base as we move ahead. Together, we have made a difference, as witnessed in the outcome of many stories we have brought to life, like the recent story on the proposed 6-month closure of River Road. Readers came out in droves with opposition and have pushed that decision down the road and into a more public process. A win is a win, and we have helped many of you get those sorts of outcomes! Here is to many more years ahead of doing this critical work.
And mostly, Thanks to all of you- our neighbors and friends, and retractors too. As readers you make the unpaid work we do worth it all!
Gratefully;
Dirk Knudsen – Editor
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What a great article about The Herald written by… the Herald!
Actually, there have been some good pieces talking about what is really happening out there.
This is excellent news! Exactly as it should be.
Congratulations Dirk for your hard work covering the important local issues that the mainstream media ignores. Kudos my brother!
Congratulations.
I think the most impactful change the Herald could make is to create news articles. The majority of stories here are editorials that also contain news. Separating the two could reduce confusion.
https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2020/opinion-news-or-editorial-readers-often-cant-tell-the-difference/