LOCAL NEWS SHAPES WHAT COMES NEXT

El Dorado is changing. From economic development to education, from public safety to the arts, our community is full of momentum — and full of questions. That’s where local journalism enters the picture.

Since 1889, the El Dorado News-Times has been recording and reporting Union County history and sharing impactful stories from the community. We exist to inform, investigate and explain. We show up to city hall, spotlight progress, ask tough questions and share real stories of the people who live here.

But in a shifting media landscape, this kind of local reporting can’t survive on advertising and subscriptions alone. That’s why we created the Community Journalism Project. We want to offer our readers and our community the opportunity to show additional support for the kind of journalism El Dorado needs to keep moving forward.

Local news isn’t a luxury. It’s infrastructure.  Think of strong local journalism like roads or schools or clean water — basic civic infrastructure. Without it, things start to break down. Fewer people know what decisions are being made on their behalf. Fewer voices are heard in public debates. And eventually, it becomes harder to solve problems as a community.

The decline of local news isn’t just a media issue — it’s a democracy issue. And we won’t stand by and watch that happen here. With your support, we can sustain a newsroom that works for El Dorado.

View the El Dorado News-Times Community Journalism Project presentation here.