As Issaquah and Sammamish’s local news source, our mission is to educate, inform and enlighten, and to strive to be a voice for the communities. Every day our goal is to tell the stories that matter to Issaquah and Sammamish, and to provide insight into what’s affecting our diverse and evolving cities and the people who live and work there.

Part of that mission entails expanding our lines of communication into the community — whether that community is our readers or business and community leaders or partners. And with local and city officials, politicians and staff. When times are good and there’s positive news, we want to be the first ones to hear about and share it with the community. It’s equally true when the news isn’t so positive, or when we report on a tragedy or loss with sensitivity. In this busy, ever-changing world, it’s also paramount that the Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter gets the news to you as fast as possible. But accuracy, fairness and balance will always trump speed.

The Reporter wants to do an even better job. We also want to know what we should be covering that we haven’t yet. What have we covered that you’ve enjoyed? Where can we make a bigger impact in the communities we serve? Who or what is something we should profile, investigate or explore?

Over the course of the next several months we’ll be rolling out new features, both online and in print. We’ll also be compiling lists of topics that examine the health, politics, crime, education, arts and businesses of the area. Articles that go beyond just the who, what, where, when and why, and truly dive into the story being told.

But communication is a two-way street. For the Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter to truly be a community news source, we need to hear from you. Our readers are the extra eyes, ears, and noses in the community and often they provide tips, knowledge or background critical to a story. As we shape the next chapter of the Reporter, we want our readers to be a part of how we create it.

We’ve also begun developing the outlines for a community advisory board. Ideally members would meet once a month for an hour or so and discuss what’s going on in the area along with what’s coming up ahead. We would share what we’re working on and our advisory board partners could bring ideas to the table for future issues and or discuss something already written. Let us know who you think should join us on it.

We also want to know your thoughts and ideas about any topic you think is newsworthy. Write us a letter to the editor, send us an e-mail, post on our Facebook page, give us a Tweet, give us a call or send us a carrier pigeon. We like telling the story of Issaquah and Sammamish, and we want to hear and to learn from you!

William Shaw is the Publisher of the Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter, and is a 30 year resident of Issaquah.