A healthy community needs news. It needs a place where people can learn what is happening, where accomplishments are celebrated, and where concerns are taken seriously when something is not right. It needs a news outlet to tell the story of New Glarus, beyond headlines and agendas, through the people, places, and experiences that define the community.

That is the mission behind New Glarus 360: community journalism that reflects the real life of New Glarus. Local government. Local decisions. Local celebrations. Local challenges. The stories that shape how it feels to live here.

Community journalism also works best when the community participates. New Glarus 360 is not just a place to read the news. It is a platform where residents, nonprofits, civic groups and local institutions can help shape what gets covered and how.

How Community Groups Can Participate

One of the most important roles of local news is giving a voice to the people and organizations doing the work that holds a community together. Nonprofits and civic organizations serve neighbors quietly and consistently, often without much recognition. We want New Glarus 360 to be a place where that work is visible.

This week, we are reaching out to five churches in the community: Shepherd of the Hills, Swiss Church, Grace Church, New Glarus Bible Church, and Primrose Lutheran Church. The goal is simple: work together so these congregations can contribute in their own way to the Faith niche we have carved out on this platform. That could mean sharing upcoming events, ministry updates, volunteer opportunities, service times, special programs, fundraisers, community meals or other efforts that matter to the people they serve.

And we will be doing the same with other institutions in the community. The schools. The small businesses. The emergency responders. And more. If you represent an interest that serves New Glarus, we want to hear from you.

You Can Submit a Story, Even If You Are Not a Writer

A common misconception is that you have to be a “writer” to contribute to local news. You do not.

If you have a story idea, or you are close to a story that should be told, you can help in a few different ways:

1. Submit the key information
   Send the basics: who, what, when, where and why it matters. Add a few details that provide context. If you have names of people involved, include those, too.
2. Provide quotes
   If you can gather a couple of short quotes from the people involved, that helps us tell the story accurately. If you are not comfortable collecting quotes, we can help with suggested questions.
3. Let us help you write it
   If you have the information but do not want to write the story, send what you have. If it is newsworthy, we can turn it into an article, and we can follow up with questions as needed.

This is one of the simplest ways to strengthen local journalism: help get the right information to the right place so it can be shared with the whole community.

Everyday Ways Readers Can Contribute

Not every contribution needs to be a full story. In fact, most community journalism starts with small signals from everyday people.

Here are ways you can help right now:

News tips and story ideas
See something that deserves attention, celebration, or clarification? Share it. Tips can be big or small. A new program. A public meeting item that matters. A community member doing something special. A problem that needs daylight.

Letters to the editor
Have a perspective you want to share? A concern? A thoughtful disagreement? Letters to the editor are an important part of local discourse when they stay respectful and grounded in facts.

Opinion columns and guest submissions
If you have expertise or lived experience that can help others understand an issue, consider a guest column. We can work with you on clarity and structure.

Photos and video
Sometimes a photo or a video tells the story best. If you have a strong image or video from a community event, include a few sentences explaining what is happening, who is pictured, and why the moment matters.

Support good journalism by being an engaged reader
Read the articles. Share stories with your neighbors. Comment thoughtfully. If you see an error, point it out. If you have a detail that adds context, add it. Local news gets stronger when the community treats it like a shared project.

New Glarus 360 is built on a simple idea: when a community has strong information, it has stronger relationships, stronger accountability, and stronger pride in the places and people that make it home. If you want better local news, you can help create it. And if you have something worth sharing, we want to help you tell it.

– Have a tip, an announcement, a story idea, or a letter to the editor? Send it to New Glarus 360, and help shape the next chapter of local news in New Glarus.