Brier Dudley

Seattle

Editor of The Seattle Times Save the Free Press initiative. Previously editorial board member, opinion columnist, tech columnist, reporter.

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Articles

Sen. Cantwell on saving local news, public broadcasting and Elvis

2 weeks ago | seattletimes.com | Brier Dudley

Five years ago U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell published a report on the dire situation facing local journalism that’s essential to democracy. In retrospect, she nailed it.
Corruption grows as newspapers fade, and WA legislators favor secrecy

2 weeks ago | seattletimes.com | Brier Dudley

If you think there’s more corruption, you’re right, and it’s happening where America has lost local newspapers. That’s the conclusion of two professors who analyzed corruption in places with and without daily papers. They found clear evidence that there’s more corruption where papers closed. That doesn’t bode well. Since 2005 more than a third of U.S. newspapers closed, leaving more than half of its counties with little to no local journalism.
Public records win funds more investigative journalism at WA college

3 weeks ago | seattletimes.com | Brier Dudley

Here’s a roundabout way to get public support for local journalism. But it depends on the generosity of young journalists and boneheaded decisions by state officials. This happened last week Bellingham, where three Western Washington University graduates donated $42,000 to establish an endowment supporting students’ investigative journalism.
Oregon’s Les Zaitz: Strong journalism key to local news success

1 month ago | seattletimes.com | Brier Dudley

It’s sad that the Malheur Enterprise, a legendary newspaper in Eastern Oregon, is shutting down this month. But there are some positive angles to the story. The Enterprise demonstrated that local papers can still succeed with committed ownership and aggressive, quality journalism. The weekly was profitable. Where it fell short was finding talent. Publisher Les Zaitz said he couldn’t find a qualified successor interested in moving to the rural area.
WA’s journalism fellowship in limbo after legislators cut funding

1 month ago | seattletimes.com | Brier Dudley

Washington State University may halve or even cancel the state’s fledgling journalism fellowship program because the Legislature slashed its funding. I hope they don’t give up and explore different options first. The situation presents an opportunity to collaborate with local news outlets on ways to improve and extend the fellowship program. Making it more independent, and less tethered to WSU, is worth exploring.
Florida investor aims to be America’s largest newspaper publisher

2 months ago | seattletimes.com | Brier Dudley

David Hoffmann, the latest billionaire plunging into the newspaper business, may be the most ambitious one yet. A lifelong newspaper fan who made his fortune with an executive recruiting firm, Florida-based Hoffmann heads a sprawling business network that began buying newspapers in 2022. That accelerated last fall.
Study sheds light on why local news is more trusted, for now

2 months ago | seattletimes.com | Brier Dudley

A new study helps explain why Americans continue to trust local news, even as their trust in national media, government and other institutions is falling. The authors assert that people use “a news outlet’s local orientation as a shortcut to assess its credibility.” If a news source appears local, people are inclined to trust it. That should be encouraging for those wanting to sustain and regrow local journalism, and to local news outlets trying to survive two decades of market disruption.
A new newspaper blooms in La Conner

Mar 26, 2025 | seattletimes.com | Brier Dudley

Tulips aren’t the only thing emerging in Skagit County right now. A local news startup, the La Conner Community News, started printing a physical newspaper and saw its subscriptions more than double over the last week. This is a remarkable turn of events for a community that rallied last year to save its century-old local newspaper, only to see it close in December. That happens all too often. A third of America’s local newspapers, more than 3,000 of them, closed over the last two decades.
Tri-Cities news veteran working to rebuild trust in news media

Mar 12, 2025 | seattletimes.com | Brier Dudley

Rufus Friday has a difficult but extremely important job. The longtime newspaper executive was recently hired to lead an organization that aims to restore trust in the news media. In today’s environment, that’s a bit like trying to clear a minefield while bombs are dropping and bullets are flying from the right and left. But Friday is undaunted and the Center for Integrity in News Reporting is, I think, taking a smart approach.
Incredible support for Washington bill for local journalism

Jan 29, 2025 | seattletimes.com | Brier Dudley

Washingtonians care deeply about the survival of their local news organizations, judging from a Tuesday legislative hearing in Olympia. More than 500 people signed in to testify on state Senate Bill 5400, which would increase a surcharge on large tech companies to fund a $20 million grant program for local journalism. That included 423 who signed up to testify in support of the bill and 81 against, according to state Sen. Rebecca SaldaĆ±a, chair of the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.