About Columbia Countercurrent
Columbia Countercurrent is a community-driven local news publication serving the Columbia River region and Southwest Washington.
We exist because important local stories too often fall through the cracks. Not because they are unimportant, but because they are inconvenient, uncomfortable, or risky to tell out loud.
This publication was built to change that.
Why We Are Anonymous
Columbia Countercurrent does not generally publish individual bylines by design.
Local journalism happens in small towns. People live where they report. They shop at the same stores, attend the same schools, and interact with the same institutions they may need to scrutinize. In that environment, attaching a name to every story does not increase truth. It increases pressure, risk, and silence.
Anonymity here is not about avoiding accountability. It is about protecting the conditions that allow honest reporting to exist at all.
Our anonymity protects:
- Contributors who submit tips or documentation
- Editors who verify and contextualize information
- Writers who synthesize facts without fear of retaliation
- Community members who would otherwise stay quiet
How Credibility Works Without Bylines
Trust is not created by a name in italics at the bottom of a page. Trust is created by process.
Every story published by Columbia Countercurrent is:
- Sourced from community tips, public records, and third-party reporting
- Independently reviewed for factual accuracy
- Cross-checked against available documentation
- Framed to clearly separate verified facts from analysis or interpretation
When facts are uncertain, that uncertainty is stated.
When sources are discovered, they are cited.
When a story evolves, it is updated.
Credibility here is earned the hard way: through transparency of method, not performative authorship.
What We Cover
We focus on stories that materially affect people in this region, including:
- Local government and civic decisions
- Policing, immigration enforcement, and civil liberties
- Housing, labor, and economic pressure points
- Community conflicts that deserve daylight, not rumor
- Stories that people are afraid to submit to traditional outlets
We are not interested in outrage for its own sake. We are interested in clarity, context, and consequences.
What We Are Not
We are not a personal blog.
We are not a political party.
We are not a mouthpiece for donors or institutions.
We do not sell influence, bury stories, or require permission to report on matters of public interest.
This Is Ours
Columbia Countercurrent is built on the idea that a community does not need permission to tell the truth about itself.
If you have information, documentation, or lived experience that matters, you can submit it safely. If you disagree with our framing, you are welcome to challenge it with evidence. If we get something wrong, we will correct it.