Newsberg 2024: A Year in Review

From humble beginnings with seven subscribers in April 2023, Newsberg has grown into a trusted local news source with 1,400 newsletter subscribers and 168 stories published in 2024—an average of 3.23 stories per week.

Long story short, I am ready for a break.

I’m continuing the tradition of taking January off from publishing, meaning this will be the last story until February 4. It allows me the time and space to spend some solid time with the family during the cold, dark, hygge months, as well as get some strategic planning in place for the coming year.

Which, by the way, you can help inform: The Annual Newsberg Reader Survey is live! I know surveys can be annoying and silly, but please consider taking a few minutes (5 – 8 depending on how detailed you are) to answer some questions and fill it out. This survey helps me know that I’m moving in the right direction for what the readers actually want, not what I think they want.

Without further ado, here’s a detailed look back at what we accomplished together this year, and a quick look at what we’re working on for 2025.

Major Milestones

• Newsletter Growth: Subscriptions grew 165%, from 549 in January to 1,400 in December, reflecting our readers’ trust and engagement. There is a need for locally reported news in this community written, edited, and published by a neighbor. People are starting to notice the void left by legacy media companies, and I’m happy to be seen as a resource for people wanting to reconnect with this town.
• Social Media: Followers doubled to over 3,000 across platforms, amplifying our reach and community connection. Social media is very “top of funnel” for Newsberg, meaning its a way that we try and prove the usefulness of our product to people. However, social media companies are increasingly hostile to news outlets, so my goal is to get every social media follower to become a newsletter reader. 
• Website Traffic: Unique visitors surged 425% to 44,400, and page views rose 404% to 68,800. Those numbers are mind-boggling to me as I remember seeing my one of my early stories “pop” and get 74 readers. My main traffic drivers are the newsletter, Newsbreak, and social media sites.

In August, we also celebrated a significant milestone by securing an office on Main Street. While it is not strictly a Newsberg office (my wife and I pay for it personally as our household grew and we lost our home offices), this new space has become a solid foundation for Newsberg, as well as an incredible marketing opportunity with a street and window sign on one of the most trafficked streets in Newberg.

Supporting Local, Neighbor-Owned Journalism

Newsberg thrives because of our incredible community. Thanks to contributions from 59 community members, we raised $5,000 to cover operating costs. We also introduced advertising this year, with 70% of newsletters featuring sponsors and website ads launching in October, raising another $4,000 over the course of the year.

I want to thank the top three advertisers this year—Chehalem Insurance Associates, Portland Community College – Newberg, and Newberg Noon Rotary—all of whom saw the vision and were willing to support when there wasn’t a lot of data to guarantee a return on their investment. Now, after a year of collecting data about advertising performance, I’m happy to say that I can confidently go into the next year knowing that Newsberg readers want to support Newsberg advertisers.

In addition to community support, we secured two hugely impactful grants:

• A $20,000 LION Publishers Sustainability grant to fund marketing and business stabilization in 2025. As part of this grant, I was paired with an independent media consultant who took a look at the business top-down to highlight pathways to profitability.
• A $1,500 Oregon Business Resource Center grant to enhance our design assets as we prepare for a large marketing push. 

Next year, I hope to at least double the revenue, which will enable me to hire a freelance reporter and part-time sales person, both of whom would free up a lot of my time so I can focus on larger stories and operational success.

Top Stories of 2024

Our most-read stories showcased Newberg’s vibrant culture and growth:

1. Artist Block Opens Alpha Bravo: A Newberg Speakeasy-Style Ramen Bar
2. Jem 100 Strengthens Roots Under New Ownership
3. Newberg 2024 Christmas Light Route Announced
4. Arcade Club PDX Opens in Newberg
5. Shoemates Opens Location in Downtown Newberg

And just for fun, here are my top five favorite stories from 2024:

1. Bigleaf Maple Syrup Makes a Splash in the Willamette Valley
2. Cash is King: Newberg Restaurants Encourage Non-Card Payments
3. Ruddick/Wood Closes Indefinitely
4. The Newberg Scroll: A Brief History
5. Dirty Ragz Music: Sales, Service, and Stories

Expanding Our Reach

This year was marked by new initiatives that extended our impact:

• We launched engaging columns like Mayor’s Musings, The Craft Corner, and Kayt’s Book Bites, bringing fun community voices to accompany our local news stories.
• We’ve also started publishing The Newberg Funnies, featuring local comic strips Melon Collie by Joseph Hampton and The Berg by Ben Smith. Our cup runneth over.
• Natalie Casey, our first intern from George Fox University (GFU), joined the team last winter and spring. Our next GFU intern is coming on board in January and she is sharp. Thanks so much to Melanie Mock and GFU for supporting community reporting with this internship program.
• Alongside existing membership to LION Publishers, Newsberg became a member of respected industry organizations including the Society of Professional Journalists, the Oregon Media Collaborative, and the Oregon Journalism Project, strengthening our journalistic standards and collaboration opportunities.
• We partnered with Portico to archive our stories, ensuring they remain accessible to future generations. This linking is currently in the works, but should be live early 2025.

First Physical Product

A notable highlight was the launch of A Visual Coloring Guide to Newberg, Oregon, a beautifully illustrated coloring book by Meryl Andersen. This fundraiser, sold at Chapters Books & Coffee and Pulp & Circumstance, not only supported Newsberg’s mission but also celebrated the unique charm of our town. Thank you so much to Chapters and Pulp & Circumstance for selling the books and providing 100% of the proceeds back to Newsberg. 

Looking Ahead to 2025

We are excited about the possibilities for the coming year:

• Creating a Spanish-language translation of our stories to serve the spanish-speaking community in Newberg.
• Expanding advertising opportunities to support growth.
• Launching a grant-funded marketing campaign to reach a wider local audience.
• Increasing story output by adding more contributors and interns to our team.
• Developing and publishing a print product
• Planning and executing a few community events

Thank you for your unwavering support. Your engagement, feedback, and contributions fuel Newsberg’s growth and impact. Together, we’ve built something extraordinary and we’re only just taking our first steps.

As I conclude this 2024 overview, I want to express my sincere gratitude to each and every one of you, without whom this wouldn’t be possible. I’ll get sappy around this time of year (as well as Newsberg’s anniversary in April) because this little idea started in my head, and you all have made it a reality with your readership and support. 

Thank you. So much.

Branden Andersen
Founding Editor, Newsberg Media LLC