U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, sent a letter to U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner Friday to request regular, reliable delivery of local newspapers, including The Chronicle, in Southwest Washington.
The Chronicle’s customers across Lewis County have faced issues with the routine delivery of newspapers, sometimes going weeks without receiving a copy.
The issue, which has affected hundreds of customers, appears to be a particular problem for customers using a P.O. box and extends beyond the responsibility of local post offices but deals with United States Postal Service (USPS) business mail entry units.
In her letter, Gluesenkamp Perez detailed the importance of news outlets in rural communities like Lewis County.
“In rural communities like mine, where reliable internet access is not guaranteed, the local newspaper remains a primary and essential source of information about community affairs, public safety and major news,” she wrote. “At a time when our state is suffering from back-to-back significant weather events, reliable and timely postal service is critical to keep our community safe and informed.”
“Local press outlets have reported receiving angry calls from customers frustrated by missing or delayed deliveries, or seeing long-time subscribers cancel their subscriptions altogether. This is threatening the viability of our local independent media,” Gluesenkamp Perez continued.
The congresswoman requested that Steiner “consider providing my office with any insight into the causes of these delivery issues in Lewis County and working collaboratively with local newspapers to resolve them as quickly as possible.”
In a statement, Gluesenkamp Perez doubled down on the role that local news played in small communities.
“In an increasingly nationalized media environment, local news matters more than ever. Democracy depends on being connected to your neighbors and independent thinking,” she said. “Local newspapers remain a primary and essential source of information about community events, public safety and local news. The USPS must get to the bottom of what’s causing this problem and fix it as soon as possible.”
To report an issue with delivery of copies of The Chronicle, visit https://tinyurl.com/52nveacj.
