About

Gig Harbor Now is a nonprofit news organization working to strengthen the community and democracy by accurately, objectively and reliably reporting local news and events, and providing a forum for the people of the greater Gig Harbor area.

The newspaper arose from the demise of a similar publication whose editor and reporter refused to accept that local news isn’t important. For a decade, they produced the weekly Gig Harbor Life until in 2018 parent company Gannett discontinued it as financially unsustainable.

It was a scenario echoed across traditional American newspapers, which lost advertising to major internet platforms and correspondingly were forced to close or reduce coverage.

The former staff members rallied community supporters to help fill the information void. They pursued a nonprofit model that has proved successful in restoring local news to many communities.

Finally, in January 2021, Gig Harbor Now became a Washington state nonprofit corporation and is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) organization. It began publishing local news to its website gigharbornow.org in August 2021.

Mission

To create and sustain a community-supported nonprofit news organization that informs, educates and connects our community.

Vision

As the eyes, ears and voice of our community, Gig Harbor Now will encourage and inspire an informed, engaged and involved citizenry.

Editorial Independence Policy

Gig Harbor Now subscribes to standards of editorial independence adopted by the Institute for Nonprofit News:
Our organization retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization. We maintain a firewall between news coverage decisions and sources of all revenue. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products, services or opinions.

We accept donations, grants and sponsorships from individuals and organizations for the general support of our activities, but our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support.

We will cede no right of review or influence of editorial content, nor of unauthorized distribution of editorial content.

Our organization will make public all donors. We will accept anonymous donations for general support only if it is clear that sufficient safeguards have been put into place that the expenditure of that donation is made independently by our organization and in compliance with INN’s membership standards.