Why Local Journalism Matters

Join Cathy Noah, Editor in Chief of the Medford Tribune, at Suite 101, Old Ashland Armory, for a lively discussion of Journalism and the Internet. People have a lot of options these days for getting their news -- so many, in fact, that some think they no longer need the traditional sources of media. But dig deeper into that story and you'll find the news that you consume on social media or your favorite website likely originated with a traditional journalist. You can get plenty of online content on all sorts of topics, but it's often commentary rather than reporting, delivered from a point of view or dictated from a corporate office. News reporters, while far from perfect, provide a non-participant's view that is critical to keeping the public informed about their public agencies and public officials. That's especially true at the local level, as Cathy knows well.

Cathy Noah has been hooked on journalism ever since her English teacher at Rogue River High School asked her to be on the school newspaper. A graduate of then Southern Oregon State University, she started as a reporter at the Ashland Daily Tidings, then moved on to the Grants Pass Daily Courier, where she became features editor. After a seven-year hiatus to the "dark side" (marketing) on the Oregon Coast, she returned to the Rogue Valley to become a team leader at the Mail Tribune in 1999. She was promoted to city editor in about 2009 and became editor in chief in September.