Happy June! My Edmonds News is two-and-a-half years old and while we are fortunate to have many long-time readers, we are attracting new visitors all the time. Here’s what you should know about our community’s only independently published online news source.

Mission statement: You can find it at the top of the My Edmonds News home page: “An online gathering place for neighbors and friends in Edmonds, Washington.” I’m delighted that people regularly share their ideas and opinions by commenting on stories and submitting letters to the editor.

Independently owned. My Edmonds News is the only independently-owned news site based in Edmonds. It’s  100-percent supported by online advertising and the money raised stays in the community; it’s not sent to a New York- or Seattle-based corporation. My freelance writers and photographers live in Edmonds too.

Seattle Times affiliate. I am proud to be affiliated with The Seattle Times as an online news partner, which means they include story summaries and links to My Edmonds News stories.

Live audio broadcasts. My Edmonds News provides live audio broadcasts of our local high school sports, an idea that I launched to provide our high school athletes with local recognition and allow their fans both near and far away to listen to the games. Best of all, a portion of the advertising dollars generated from that program is donated back to the high school sports booster club.

Community service. I grew up in Ellensburg, population 10,000, and I understand the value of being in a community where people know your name and care about your well-being. My dad was a local small business owner and served as Ellensburg’s mayor in the 1960s, and was always giving back to his community. He instilled in me the value of selfless community service. I am a past board member of Sustainable Edmonds and currently sit on the boards of both the Edmonds Museum and MS Helping Hands in addition to running My Edmonds News. I also have provided reduced cost or free advertising to deserving community organizations, and work with local high school and college journalism students.

Commitment to journalism. I grew up during the Watergate era and was captivated by the idea that journalism could play such a key role in exposing government wrongdoing and influencing change. I wrote for my high school newspaper and was a journalism major/political science minor at Seattle University, after which I began working for community and small daily newspapers and a wire service. Journalism is an essential cornerstone to American democracy and in a small town, it connects people to their neighbors and the institutions that they value: their schools, city government and community organizations as well as activities and events.

Commitment to value for my advertisers. My Edmonds News is an incredible value for local businesses looking to get the word out about their products and services. Our readership continues to grow month-after-month and our pricing is very affordable when compared to other advertising opportunities.

Recognition. Two years ago, I was selected to participate in an online news entrepreneur “boot camp” offered in Los Angeles by the schools of business and communications at USC. I have attended national conferences focused on online community journalism and my work on My Edmonds News has been written up in several national publications, including the Columbia Journalism Review.

How to connect. I welcome you to connect with me and our community by commenting online at My Edmonds News. You can also send me an email at teresa@myedmondsnews.com. And of course, you are welcome to show your support by making a donation using the “Donate” button on the home page.

Thank you for your support.