STAND TALL FOR LOCAL JOURNALISM
By Sandy Harmon Johnson
Publishers Notes: In the email from Sandy, “For the past 3 years, I’ve been gathering data and editorials from the editor of the Courier, Scott Stoddard, regarding the future of the newspaper. A lot of the information in my essay came specifically from that data.
Based on Jay Martin considering discontinuing his newpaper, got me thinking – is it a fact of life that journalism is no longer sustainable nationwide?
On April 3, 2025, Scott Stoddard, Editor of the Grants Pass Daily Courier, stated that the Courier was 140 years old. It’s more than an anniversary – it serves to celebrate, as well, 128 years of the Courier’s publication by one local family (the Voorheis family) – a record without parallel in Oregon. The power to survive more than 12 decades in the publishing business, all within one city and with one newspaper, is rare. Sylvia Voorheis, president of the Courier Publishing Company, said they care about the paper and its people, both employees and readers, which has contributed to the stable ownership of the Voorheis family.
The Daily Courier is an evening paper published Tuesday through Friday and Sunday with a circulation of 9,000 daily and 10,300 on Sunday. The daily paper is delivered to the home or office by 5 pm in a dry, readable condition Tuesday through Saturday. Home delivery subscribers are provided a newspaper tube for which the paper is placed in. In other words – the Grants Pass Daily Courier is delivered by carrier to doorsteps five days a week.
The Courier is mostly a Josephine County newspaper. There are subscribers in Douglas County, Jackson County, Portland, Oregon and California. Newspapers are delivered to Rogue River, Gold Hill and Cave Junction every day.
On February 1, 2024, with the pressure of increasing costs, the paper raised newsstand prices from $1 to $1.50. This did not affect subscribers, only those who purchase the paper from stores or coin boxes. This was the first newsstand increase in 8 years.
The Courier has been a staple of Josephine County life, chronicling everything from city politics, high school sports and community milestones. Local, state and national news, sometimes the same day that stories break; local obits, local arts, and entertainment, local editorials and opinion columns, historic look-backs, stock listings, movie times, high school sports coverage, from the biggest schools to the smallest; extensive local entertainment column, home and garden column, food section, Friday night football games and Tuesday night basketball games. Games are covered in the very next day’s paper, not an edition three days away.
Reporting in Grants Pass has covered significant local issues, such as government ethics and local politics, which some argue demonstrates the vital role local journalism plays in holding institutions accountable.
On December 8, 2023 an unknown person threw a brick — marked with a vulgar message naming a member of the newsroom — through the glass entrance doors to the building. “We are not a sleepy newspaper, we cover local topics aggressively,” Editor Scott Stoddard said. “There are multiple factions in town that are not happy with the paper because of the level of reporting we do.”
The Courier also quoted Stoddard as saying, “I want to assure our readers that we are not going to be silenced by anyone who tries to intimidate us or infringe on the press freedoms that are guaranteed by the First Amendment.”
The Courier is feeling the same pressures hitting local journalism nationwide – fewer readers and shrinking advertising revenue, and has begun something once unthinkable for a for-profit newspaper, asking readers for donations. The paper is now appealing directly to the community for financial support, stressing that without new funding streams, its ability to deliver independent journalism is at risk.
STAND TALL for Local Journalism is a new program prompted by reader requests to help partner with the local newspaper. Those who are willing can voluntarily add money to the amount paid each month for their subscription.
BECOME A FIRST AMENDMENT CHAMPION TODAY –
Ponderosa Pine level – $40 month
Douglas Fire level – $50 month
Redwood level – $60 or more per month
Those funds are used for news-gathering efforts. When Courier readers choose to Stand Tall, they help keep the Courier strong.
The Daily Courier newsroom has won 154 awards from the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association (ONPA) over a six-year period, which is described as the best result in the newspaper’s history.
The newspaper’s editor, Scott Stoddard, has been personally honored by the ONPA for categories including writing, editorials, local column, and news photography.
The newspaper has received first and second place awards in the ONPA’s Better Newspaper Contest, including “Best Government Coverage.” A specific reporter was also noted for an expose on local government.
Named the Pacific Northwest’s best large daily newspaper editorial page by the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association in 2025.
The newspaper is consistently recognized for its local journalism, including good photographs and important community information.
Last year, my classmate of Grants Pass High School, submitted a letter to the Courier stating that she has devoured the Courier for 43 years. She hasn’t watched television news for 20 years and does not participate in social media. She reads every edition thoroughly, literally every piece written by every columnist published by the paper. To her, the Daily Courier is an unbiased publication that constantly makes her aware of what is happening, especially locally.
The Courier remains a beacon of democracy by providing its readers factual information prepared by professional journalists. Currently, the Courier employs an editor, city editor, sports editor, copy editor, two features editors, Medford news editor, sports and copy desk editor, photo journalist, all in the News Department, and freelance writers. The number of pages varies but generally eight pages during the week and 12 pages on Sunday. Pages are front page news, Opinion – Letters to the Editor, Syndicated Columnists, Entertainment featuring local artists, Food, Sports, Faith, Comics (featuring Blondie, Beetle Bailey, Zits, Garfield, Hi and Lois and others, and the Daily Commuter Puzzle), Classified, Service directory, page 2 news features – Weather – Local, Oregon, National, The nation, The world, The west, People, Today in history, Lotteries, and Historic Headlines, A Gardner’s Life – a column that is published in every weekend edition written by a local, Barbara Delbol.
A few of the recent news articles:
- New Oregon license plate honors conservation efforts at the Oregon Zoo.
- Little Free Libraries go up in Grants Pass city parks.
- A new development in Talent offers affordable housing for local seniors.
- Dutch Bro reports 25% increase in year-over-year profit.
- Absenteeism at Southern Oregon schools remain stubbornly high.
- Journalists turn in passes and walk out of Pentagon.
- Roseburg Company picked to launch homeless site in Grants Pass.
- Josephine County Finance Director files whistleblower complaint.
- Grants Pass water bills to rise due to loss of FEMA grant.
Josephine County Commissioners terminate lease with the Grants Pass Library. The library sued the county last year when commissioners allowed some residents to opt-out of the library district tax.
Local journalism plays a vital role in keeping the public informed, holding government accountable, and making sure community voices are heard. Community supported journalism has become a lifeline for local papers everywhere. The Courier is a cornerstone of Josephine County and Grand Pass.
Is the Grants Pass Daily Courier unique? Yes
Are the Courier onsite printing presses falling silent or are they working to keep the Courier stable?
Grants Pass is a strong and loyal community to the Courier. After 140 years of publishing, the Voorheis family and the Courier Publishing Company will persevere and continue the legacy of the newspaper with the help of loyal subscribers and advertisers.
Our family grew up reading newspapers – Grants Pass Daily Courier, Sioux City Journal, Des Moines Register, The Mapleton Press (weekly, 148 years of continuous operation), Reno Evening Gazette, Medford Mail Tribune, Sacramento Bee, and San Francisco Chronicle. We are a family that devours the news – locally, statewide and nationally. Holding a newspaper, flipping through the sections, and creating a personal archive can be a satisfying experience. The beauty of a newspaper lies in its tactile nature, thoughtful design, and the curated experience it offers, which encourages a slower, more deliberate engagement with the news. This contrasts with the fleeting nature of digital content and can be found in the elegant layout, creative typography, and striking photography that combine to create a unique and real-world product.
As we fought and continue to fight for our libraries, let’s fight for and support newspapers either by subscribing or buying a copy at the newsstand.
The Siskiyou Writers’ Club is a local group of folks with a passion for creative writing of all genres. We generally meet the last Thursday of the month in various locations throughout Siskiyou County. For more information about the club, contact Mike Grifantini, 530-710-4882, email [email protected], or Bob Kaster, 530-598-5204, email [email protected]
