Reflections on Local Community Journalism, Part One – Our Anniversary

A note from the Managing Editor

The Fort Atkinson Independent Reporter (FAIR) celebrates its sixth-month anniversary this month (July 2025). Yes – we are one-half of one tenth of a decade along! While observing such a vast milestone may call for popping open your favorite beverage, we mark this occasion by reexamining and expanding our aims and goals in local reporting – a self-study on how our efforts add value to the lives of our readers and community. We also mark this six-month anniversary by beginning a series of articles on how FAIR envisions the conduct of local journalism and how it might be recovered.

Vision & Approach

From FAIR’s beginnings last February, my intent has been to reinvigorate local journalism by helping readers understand current events and trends in local and regional civic affairs, government, business, and commerce, and to facilitate transparency and local dialog on these matters – the job description of local journalism in a framework of democracy.

But alas, prior to FAIR, and even now, our preexisting local news and information culture has been a mix of social media, syndicated print more regional than local. Our once-great local radio stations are distant memories. One might say that we have endured a local news drought.

Enter the Fort Atkinson Independent Reporter in pursuit of excellence, signifying the highest standards of journalistic integrity, fact-based objectivity, nonpartisan reporting, transparency of institutions, and LOCAL journalism. FAIR identifies and addresses local issues in-depth, engaging standards that meet and exceed the news reporting industry. On that point, we ascribe to the Code of Ethics of the Radio Television Digital News Association (of which we are a member), and we make the provisions of that Code of Ethics our very own Code.

FAIR is Equal Partner in Community Progress

The “premise” of the Fort Atkinson Independent Reporter is that local journalism should represent co-partnership with its community and with numerous stakeholders equally devoted to sharedcommunity success. Adding abundant value to this community, these stakeholders include:

• A professionally managed local government working with department staff and elected council together with our city boards, commissions, and committees.

• A school system served by professional administrators, teachers, staff, and elected school board.

• A local business community endeavoring to meet and exceed customer expectations.

• Numerous dedicated civic and volunteer groups.

• Highly responsive and professionally recognized public safety and healthcare sectors.

• Great parks and recreational opportunities, quality cultural activities to include a superb library and museum.

• Faith-based schools and institutions offering a supportive network for individuals and families.

• Successful partnerships with neighboring communities and a winning Jefferson County government.

The Expected Outcome

FAIR is in partnership with all community stakeholders to pursue excellence in local journalism. Our effectiveness occurs when readers engage in a higher quality of public and civil discourse, and a greater sense of civic responsibility, leading to citizens more effectively taking ownership of community challenges and opportunities through a shared role in setting the local agenda. FAIR demonstrates that we individually and mutually have a voice in community affairs, whether or not we agree - but we must agree to disagree with mutual respect.

More to Come

This is an introductory Part One of a series of articles I will provide where I discuss a new model for local community journalism. Future installments will address such matters as our civil discourse (recognition and conciliation of our different civic interests), thoughts on the difference between local politics and partisanship, the importance of community participation in local government, and local economic development.

Who Am I?

In closing, some have asked who I am, and my qualifications for establishing the Fort Atkinson Independent Reporter - I was your grandparents’ newspaper delivery boy.

One final note - FAIR owes the beauty and functionality of this website to our Digital Marketing expert, Hollie Lindemann of Lindemann Creative Services. I am also grateful to Kelly Lindl for her exceptional insights into local politics and public relations. Thank you, team!

- John Donohue, Managing Editor

FAIR Managing Editor John Donohue