Support Local Journalism, Support The Portland Beacon

The community of Portland has had several newspapers in its long history.  The Portland Advertiser was first published 1867.  The Portland Review was first published in 1885.  Many of you probably remember the weekly Portland Review & Observer that was delivered to your doorstep each weekend until just a few years ago.

The Portland Michigan History page on Facebook shares lots of old newspaper clippings on their page.  Many of these were published decades ago and give a great look at what was happening in the community at that time. 

In many communities across America, local newspapers like these are a thing of the past.  In the internet age, small town newspapers are nearly obsolete.  The financial model just isn’t practical in most cases.

I started The Portland Beacon in August of 2017.  I wanted to cover local news and events featuring the people, schools, non-profits and businesses that call Portland home.

While a weekly printed version is not something we plan to ever do, The Portland Beacon uses our website, social media and email newsletters to share the news of this community today. 

The Portland Beacon needs your help to do this.  It is dependent on a mix of advertising as well as reader contributions to fund our operations. 

Supporting local journalism is essential because it supports a healthy democracy and a thriving community. Independent reporting like that found on The Portland Beacon helps ensure transparency by holding public officials and government institutions accountable for their decisions.  Local journalism helps prevent corruption and mismanagement. Local journalism serves as a vital source of trusted information on issues that directly impact residents' daily lives—such as local education, healthcare, and infrastructure—thereby empowering citizens to make informed choices and driving higher levels of civic engagement and voter turnout. Local news strengthens community identity by documenting history, fostering cohesion, and highlighting local businesses.

Please consider supporting The Portland Beacon and ongoing local journalism here in our community.  While we do not have any openings for paid contributors at this time, we are always looking for volunteer contributors to write fair and accurate pieces for the site.  We are always looking for local organizations and business to purchase affordable advertising space on the site.  And contributions from readers like you are critical in our survival. 

To contribute by check, please make check payable to "The Portland Beacon”, and mail it to P.O. Box 331, Portland, MI 48875.  If you would like to contribute through PayPal, click HERE.  Please note that the PayPal page will list the Beacon’s parent company, “Townsend Small Business Solutions LLC.”