Haak-Frost: Don’t let this rural newsroom go the way of Pogs
Watershed Voice Executive Editor Alek Haak-Frost writes, “I, for one, would love to see Pogs make a comeback. My stepmother took my Pogs away one day as punishment for something lost to the sands of time, and I never saw them again. Like, ever.
“So what does any of this have to do with rural newsrooms? Watershed Voice, much like my beloved Pogs, could be taken away, never to be seen or heard from again. Not because my stepmom forgot to give it back but because support for local journalism has dwindled, and rural newsrooms are almost as endangered as Blockbuster Video or Hot ‘n Now (good looking out, Sturgis).”
Nostalgia is a funny thing. We’ve all been guilty, at one time or another, of believing things were better when we were younger. That if only things were the same as they were when we were kids, the world would somehow make sense again.
After all, gone are the days of packed movie theaters, video stores, lines for the midnight release of a new book or gas for less than a dollar a gallon.
I, for one, would love to see Pogs make a comeback. My stepmother took my Pogs away one day as punishment for something lost to the sands of time, and I never saw them again. Like, ever.
So what does any of this have to do with rural newsrooms? Watershed Voice, much like my beloved Pogs, could be taken away, never to be seen or heard from again. Not because my stepmom forgot to give it back but because support for local journalism has dwindled, and rural newsrooms are almost as endangered as Blockbuster Video or Hot ‘n Now (good looking out, Sturgis).
Once Watershed Voice is gone, you won’t be able to find it again on eBay years later, it’ll just be gone. Yet another thing we wish we could have back but can’t.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, 2025 has been a challenging year for independent news. But we’ve kept going because it’s times like these that you need our reporting the most. We’re committed to producing high-quality, fact-based news and information that promotes civic engagement in this community we call home. It’s what you’ve come to expect from us and what we’re proud to deliver.
As a nonprofit newsroom, every story we produce is powered by our readers. We’re once again participating in NewsMatch, a nationwide movement to strengthen nonprofit news. That means that between now and December 31, your investment in Watershed Voice will be matched dollar for dollar, and we can earn up to $30,000.
If you’ve been on the fence about giving, there’s never been a better time. Will you join in this collective effort to strengthen nonprofit news?
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