It’s been two years since we at WhereBy.Us launched Bridgeliner with a mission to bring a more personal, accessible, authentic kind of local journalism to Portland. That’s our mission, too, and we’ve been delighted to have Bridgeliner as part of our network, with the support of members like you.
Bridgeliner isn’t going anywhere, though our team is changing. As you may have seen, co-directors Ben and Devin left the Bridgeliner team today, and have left very large shoes to fill. While we’re going to miss them immensely, we’re also excited for what’s coming next and wanted to share that with you.
Indeed figuring out how to make local journalism sustainable is challenging. Like the rest of the industry, we’re still figuring that out as a company, but our commitment to Portland and to Bridgeliner is stronger than ever.
So what’s next for Bridgeliner? We’re recruiting a new lead editor, and if you’re interested we’d love to hear from you. Bridgeliner will also be hiring other local writers, journalists, and community organizers to produce guest editions of our newsletter and bring in perspectives from across the city. This is something WhereBy.Us has been doing in some of the other cities where we support local media brands, and it’s been a great way to elevate and connect new voices. If there are emerging voices in Portland you love or think should get more attention, we’d love your suggestions!
Your membership is what makes these things possible, and will enable Bridgeliner to increase the number of local writers and voices it features in the coming months.
Stay tuned for more about the next phase. In the meantime, thank you for supporting the mission, and, as always, we’re here for your feedback.