Local News Day: A Local Success

The Nome Nugget invited the public to a Local News Day celebration last week at the Foster Building and were we happy to see the great turnout of people joining us on May 14.
During a lunch talk, award-winning journalist and Nugget contributor Jenni Monet presented on the highlights of the first-ever Nugget Reader survey. We had 281 survey responses, with 51 percent from Nome, 10 percent from surrounding communities and 36p percent from people living out of region. We found out that 38 percent of our readers value news on Indigenous issues and Subsistence; 27 percent want to read about government affairs, 17 percent about community events and 14.5 percent value our education reporting most. When asked what people would miss if the Nugget were to disappear (which it will not!) people answered they would miss the local connection, the history, the Community Voice that the Nugget is. A revealing result was the civic impact that our reporting and ad platform has. Our reporting was shared or used by 65 percent of our readers, 21 percent attended a meeting or event, 19 percent voted in a local election, 18 percent contributed to a local cause, 13 percent contacted a public official and eight percent submitted public comment, all based on what readers saw in the Nugget.
At a time when network news and big national news outlets are mistrusted, readers of the Nugget gave a resounding endorsement of trust in the Nugget’s reporting: 73 percent said they trust the Nugget a lot, 15 percent said somewhat, 9 percent were not sure and 3 percent did not trust it at all.
Readers also asked for a better online and digital experience, mainly a better mobile phone experience.
And then came the burning question: Who won the five hoodies that were raffled off among survey participants. And the answer is: Jacob Martin, Rose Fosdick and Anna Rose McArthur of Nome, Apple Anino in Brevig Mission and Brendon Ozenna in Little Diomede. Congratulations!
Local News Day did what we set out to do: continuing to actively connect with our community as we strive to bring you local news week after week. We thank those who attended in person and on zoom from the bottom of our hearts. A thank you to NSEDC for contributing to the refreshments we offered.
We can’t do it without the community showing support. Please subscribe to the paper or online e-Edition, sign up to our weekly newsletter and if you feel generous and want to be part of a worthy cause, hit the donate button on our website and contribute that way.
Thank you and here’s to another 126 years of The Nome Nugget.
—D.H.—