League trip to D.C. illustrates democracy in action

I had never been to Washington, D.C., before, but it’s always been on my bucket list of things to do – the museums, memorials, statues, the seat of American government and just so much history. But now I found myself packing my bags in anticipation of going there, not as a tourist, but for an entirely different reason.

I was about to fly across the country as one of the Washington state delegates to the League of Women Voters’ national convention being held in D.C. For those readers unfamiliar with the League, it is a nonpartisan, grass-roots organization founded in the 1920s, whose mission is to inform and educate voters and to defend democracy.

In 2023, a nine-member committee of LWVWA members released a 138-page report of their two-year study, “The Decline of Local Journalism and Its Impact on Democracy.” Among other findings, the study discovered that there is lower voter turnout, more local partisanship and fewer candidates running for elected offices in areas where local news has declined or completely disappeared.

The report’s position states that because of local journalism’s importance to our democracy, it is the responsibility of the government to provide support for conditions under which credible local journalism can survive and thrive. There is historical precedent for Congressional recognition of the critical importance of local news. In 1792, Congress passed the Post Office Act which said publishers would only be charged 1 to 1.5 cents for newspapers. This amounted to an enormous subsidy, since rates for regular letters ranged from 6 to 25 cents.

The state league only takes an advocacy position on an issue after extensive study AND only after debate and consensus by the statewide membership. That’s what makes the League strong – the grassroots power of all members being able to have their perspectives aired. In that way, it really is a truly democratic approach.

And this is why 70 members from our state showed up in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the nationwide adoption of the Washington state position. After two days of campaigning, 93% of the nearly 1,000 LWV delegates voted to adopt our state’s position! This allows local and state leagues throughout the country to support action and legislation on this issue as they see fit.

I originally wanted to go to D.C. to experience the history of our nation’s capital. As it turns out, my trip was an opportunity to participate in the democratic process of putting forth ideas, civil debate and coming to consensus. I think I accomplished my goal!

If you share my concern about the state of local journalism, there are several things you can do. First, subscribe to a local journalism source, either online or in hard copy. Provide feedback to publishers on the content of your journalism sources. Encourage legislation at the state or national level that supports local news such as the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act pending in the U.S. Senate (SB 1094). And, join like-minded community organizations such as the League of Women Voters.

Jane Vilders, a longtime Skagit County League of Women Voters member, lives in Mount Vernon.