Silverton Resident Launches Multimedia Platform to Address Local News Gaps

Appeal Tribune, Silverton's long-standing newspaper, was a vital source for local news before closing in 2022 after 142 years of service.

SILVERTON, Ore. — After noticing a decline in local news coverage and perceived bias in reporting, Silverton resident Derek will officially launch SilverCreekRadio.Live on Oct. 31, a multimedia and internet radio platform aimed at providing truthful, community-driven journalism and music. The initiative comes in response to the closure of the Silverton Appeal-Tribune in 2022 and perceived shortcomings in remaining local publications.

Derek’s inspiration for the project began in 2019 when he visited the Silverton Historical Society and met Fred Parkinson, who was researching old copies of the Silverton Appeal-Tribune for a book and more recently after listening to the Joe Rogan Experience podcast where Rogan said there is a market for online music with commentary. "If someone decided to do a show just a couple of hours a day or did a show on Spotify and just played music they are really into ... There is a market for that," Rogan said.

The Appeal-Tribune, which served Silverton for 142 years, ceased publication on Sept. 14, 2022. In a September 2022 article in Our Town titled “End of an era: Silverton’s oldest newspaper closes after 142 years,” local historian Gus Frederick described the paper as “a wraith of its former self,” citing a lack of local news and reliance on reprints from the Statesman Journal.

The Statesman Journal later stopped printing the Appeal-Tribune, and a sign at Roth’s Newsstand announced that The Oregonian would no longer publish on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays starting Jan. 1. This left Our Town, a twice-monthly print publication with a limited online presence, as Silverton’s primary news source.

Notice posted at Roth's Fresh Market informs customers that, starting January 1st, the Oregonian newspaper will cease publication on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, only being available on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays (as the early Sunday edition), and Sundays.

Derek emphasizes that SilverCreekRadio.Live is not meant to compete with Our Town but to complement it with an interactive, multimedia approach using video, audio, photography, and text. “We are now living in the digital age where information comes at us like a firehose,” Derek said, noting concerns about polarized reporting. He cited an Our Town article, “Big Turnout: First Amendment Draws a Full House,” which he believes downplayed a controversial social media post by City Councilor April Newton.

According to an opinion piece by Barbara Fischer-Chase in Our Town, Newton’s post about a flag being lowered for a “white supremacist” was misquoted by reporter James Day, who wrote that Newton wished supporters were “as passionate about the victims of school shootings.” Our Town later issued an editor’s note admitting the quote was softened to “capture the essence” of Newton’s comment. Derek said this incident raised questions about the paper’s integrity.

Derek also noted Our Town’s lack of coverage of a Charlie Kirk Memorial Ride on Sept. 21, which was documented on the Derek2Earth YouTube page, while the paper covered a related No Kings Rally. Through SilverCreekRadio.Live, Derek aims to share diverse voices via podcasts, video interviews, and articles, maintaining an independent stance as a voter who prioritizes values over party lines.

Supporters holding American flags gather along the roadside, eagerly awaiting the memorial ride for Charlie Kirk.

Local journalism, Derek said, is vital for documenting Silverton’s history and holding elected officials accountable. He highlighted the importance of accurate reporting, referencing a 2025 article he wrote about a proposed statue for Stu Rasmussen, described by The Oregonian and Statesman Journal as the nation’s first openly transgender mayor. Community feedback contested this label, with some insisting Rasmussen, who had breast implants, was not transgender. “This is what SilverCreekRadio is about, capturing the real stories of our little town,” Derek said.

Derek invites community members to join the SilverCreekRadio.Live Facebook group to share leads and contribute articles. As a substitute teacher, he is busy, he welcomes collaboration to expand coverage. For more information, visit SilverCreekRadio.Live.