Often praised as “the glue that holds our community together,” the Key Peninsula News is the only independent, reliable source of local news. Businesses, government agencies and service organizations depend on the newspaper to communicate with their constituents. Readers depend on the paper for connecting with the community. 

For five decades, “the Voice of the Key Peninsula” has provided news, features and columns with local viewpoints. Began in 1974 as a newsletter for the Key Peninsula Civic Center Association, in 1989, the paper was granted independent financial and editorial status, operating under the nonprofit fiscal structure of the KPCCA.

Late in 2022, Key Peninsula News formed a new independent organization and IRS and Washington State granted status as an nonprofit organization, EIN 88-1782029.   

A full-time editor is supported by part-time writing, editing, layout/design, operations, bookkeeping, webmaster/social media and ad sales staff, together with volunteer reporters, photographers, copyeditors and a distribution team ensuring monthly delivery of a well-written, informative newspaper.

The team has won numerous awards at the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association “Better Newspapers” annual competition. Membership in the Independent News Network connects the KP News with national independent news organizations and allows participation in NewsMatch funding through the Fund for Nonprofit News at the Miami Foundation. 

Each month, 8,500 papers are mailed to Key Peninsula households from Wauna south to Devils Head, with another 2,000 distributed through sites on the Key Peninsula and surrounding community libraries, grocery stores, businesses, hotels and visitor centers. Our popular website and Facebook page add 10,000 monthly viewers for a combined readership of more than 20,000.  

While traditional for-profit newspapers are struggling, our circulation has grown by 16% since 2018 and our generous donor base continues to multiply. In 2023, income from ad revenue and subscriptions covered 85% of our operating costs. Donations, grants and underwriting made up the remainder of our budget. We are proud to have our operations underwritten by grants from the Fund for Nonprofit News at the Miami Foundation, The Angel Guild, The Rotary Club of Gig Harbor. Individuals who have given more than $2,500 include Rob Ostea, Sara Thompson, Barb Floyd and Barb Doat, Larry Seaquist, and Barb & Clark Van Bogart.

Key Peninsula News
P.O. Box 3, Vaughn, WA 98394

Our virtual office is not staffed on a regular basis. Please call 253 884-4699 or email editor@keypennews.org  

Posted on by A KPN Calendar.