Two years in, the Alaska Beacon is going strong

The Talkeetna spur road leading into community's downtown district is seen on March 9, 2024, with Denali and other Alaska Range mountains in the backdrop. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

On Saturday, the Alaska Beacon will mark the second anniversary of its May 11, 2022, launch. Just like this week, the launch week was the last of the legislative session, and the Beacon connected from Day One with Alaskans thirsty to know more about their state government.

Since then, the four-person staff has made it their business to keep Alaskans informed about what Alaska politicians are doing and why they are doing it. 

There’s been a lot of talk about the future effect of artificial intelligence on news and other industries. The Beacon looks forward to making use of AI tools. 

But AI-driven computers don’t know which public records are most vital to track down. They don’t ask elected officials questions they don’t want asked. And they won’t put in the time getting to know Alaskans across the state. 

The Alaska Beacon does and will continue to do so.

The Beacon journalists aren’t the only Alaskans that make the Beacon happen. The readers who value independent and illuminating state-level journalism support the Beacon’s work through donations.

Reader donations assist in purchasing the equipment the Beacon staff needs to bring readers to the scene of government action, including the photo lens reporter James Brooks uses inside the Capitol in Juneau.

“That’s the lens I use every day to document the Legislature, and without that, I’d be reduced to using my own cell phone to take pictures,” he said. 

In a state where internet connections even in some urban areas can be slow, Beacon supporters have also made a difference. In the past two weeks, a mobile hotspot device allowed Beacon reporters in Juneau to report and file stories quickly.

“We’ve used it to connect to the internet when cruise ship traffic has made the connection we have in the Capitol too slow to work on our stories,” senior reporter Claire Stremple said.

The support of people inside and outside Alaska make it possible for Beacon reporters to report on this massive state. For example, Claire recently visited Ben Eielson Junior-Senior High School near North Pole to report first-hand about the impact of the school’s impending closure on the community. 

And reporter Yereth Rosen has made multiple trips to Utqiagvik, Fairbanks and Juneau, allowing the Beacon to have three reporters in the Capitol during crucial periods of the legislative session. Experience has taught her how vital it is to report in person. 

“It’s so expensive, but you have to go — there’s no substitute for being there in person and seeing things on the ground. And especially in rural areas,” Yereth said. “You know, you can’t do everything by phone, you have to actually see things. You have to … see permafrost crumbling; to really understand that you have to talk to people in person, and we can’t always expect them to come to you. And Alaska is not like a state where we can just go drive and take a day trip, and see all we need to see and come back home.”

Reader support doesn’t just help inform those who visit the Beacon’s website. Many readers find Beacon content in other news sources they trust, including daily and weekly newspapers, as well as public media and radio stations. When the Beacon staff does its reporting, it helps other news organizations stretch their reporting to accomplish more.

Undergirding the Alaska Beacon’s service to Alaska is the support of its national parent nonprofit, States Newsroom. The organization recently marked having a presence in all 50 states, including 39 outlets like the Beacon directly operated by States Newsroom and 11 partners that share their content. 

Just next week, Alaska Beacon readers will be able to learn about the last actions of this legislative session. And for the six months after that, the Beacon staff will help readers understand 50 legislative races, two statewide ballot measures and a U.S. House race that’s expected to be hotly contested.

Please consider donating to support the Alaska Beacon. And spread the word about the value of subscribing to The Morning Light, the Beacon’s free daily email newsletter. 

With reader support, the success of the Alaska Beacon’s last two years can continue for the next two years and many more beyond. 

Thank you, 

Andrew Kitchenman, editor-in-chief

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