OPB is expanding its public service and coverage of more rural, remote and suburban communities across Oregon and Southwest Washington with two new initiatives – the launch of a rural freelance network made up of journalists across OPB’s coverage area, particularly in Eastern and Central Oregon, and the hiring of new suburban communities reporter Holly Bartholomew through a partnership with Report for America.

Like OPB’s other regional editorial partnerships, these efforts aim to strengthen the local journalism ecosystem with more local reporting in more places documenting the news, life and culture that makes the Northwest special.

OPB’s rural freelance network

Since 2000, Oregon has seen a rapid decline in local journalism. More media outlets have closed their doors, creating growing news deserts. Nearly every Oregon county east of the Cascades has two or fewer local news sources. Most have a single source, and six counties have no local news outlet at all.

This decline has left people in rural places with less reporting on their communities, and more journalists in those areas without work.

In response to this urgent challenge, OPB recently launched a new rural freelance network, which commissions stories from local journalists in underrepresented parts of Oregon and Southwest Washington. This reporting is then made freely available to statewide news partners to republish in their own communities.

It aims to provide more locally produced stories that matter to people right where they live. Stories from freelance journalists so far range from rural healthcare challenges to government accountability of local officials. OPB plans to extend the network in other rural areas beyond its current reach in Eastern and Central Oregon.

This network is made possible through OPB’s Rural Communities Engagement Fund, a key effort established by Roundhouse Foundation to elevate authentic voices in OPB’s reporting and storytelling from across our vastly rural region. In addition to the commission of freelance reporting, the Fund also supports the development of a community storytelling series, where OPB works directly with local story tellers in front of live audiences, and other special projects.

In addition to the rural freelance network, OPB has also hosted journalism training opportunities for news partners such as KWSO in Warm Springs to help bolster their in-house reporting capabilities.

New OPB suburban communities reporter

OPB recently hired Holly Bartholomew for a three-year reporting position covering the suburban communities of the Portland-Metro area, including Washington, Clackamas and east Multnomah County. These are three of Oregon’s fastest-growing and most ethnically, politically and socioeconomically diverse places. They have also seen a drastic decline in local reporting due to layoffs and media consolidation.

This position is made possible through a partnership with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. It is structured to harness the skills of an emerging group of journalists and the spirit of local news organizations.

Bartholomew was selected to join OPB as a corps member after a rigorous hiring process that saw applicants from across the country.

At OPB, she will focus on suburban issues, accountability of government officials, and examining the challenges presented by disparities in those communities. She will specialize in local stories that resonate across Oregon and provide insight into the broader challenges facing the communities surrounding Oregon’s largest city.

Before joining OPB, Bartholomew spent more than six years reporting for the West Linn Tidings, a local newspaper based in Clackamas County. During that time, she covered local elections, public safety issues, economics, and more. The Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association recognized her work on several occasions, awarding her first place in the best writing category in 2024 and naming her the runner-up for Story of the Year in 2023 for her coverage of police and prosecutors’ alleged mishandling of a major sexual abuse case.