By Karen Wuestenfeld

Homer Independent Press

Today, NZP4H, a nonprofit corporation, launches the Homer Independent Press. This online news outlet will provide unbiased and factual weekly reporting focused on Homer and the Southern Kenai Peninsula. The business is structured to assure the editorial independence and journalistic integrity of the publication.

Michael Armstrong, a long time Homer resident and journalist, is leading as Editor. News and feature stories are currently written by volunteer and contract journalists. The news team is supported by an Editorial Advisory Board. Armstrong is charged with recruiting and mentoring local journalists and rebuilding Homer’s deep bench of reporters focused on local coverage to ensure the paper “shines a light on all that the southern Kenai Peninsula is: the good, the bad, the political, and the adorable puppy adoption.”

“I put my heart and soul into journalism before I retired,” Armstrong said. “And now I’m putting my heart and soul into the Homer Independent Press.”

The board of this nonprofit did not work in isolation to publish this first edition. They have engaged with a group of nearly 30 local volunteers who believe a strong newspaper supports a better community by activating dialogue. Community input helped shape the publication from the beginning, including online surveys and several community conversations, including a mediated session with opinion makers across the political spectrum.

Founding NZP4H Board President, R. Scott Waterman said, “It is becoming harder to get straight, factual news at the state and national levels. I want our community press to be something everyone who lives here can count on to give us facts, news and events that happen in our town. We will leave opinions on the editorial pages.”  

Seward Resident, Dr. John Fraser, Vice President of NZP4H and a nationally respected news researcher, describes the philosophy simply: “Ever since Watergate, people think news is about wallowing in scandal. But readers want stories that matter in their lives. They want to hear about neighbors who help one another and accountability grounded in fairness. Good local news builds trust; it doesn’t tear it down.”

NZP4H passed bylaws and established guidelines based on widely accepted journalism ethics: accuracy, fairness, transparency, avoiding conflicts of interest, correcting mistakes openly and reporting without fear or favor. They have committed to following the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics and are charging Armstrong with building a newsroom culture where humility, responsibility, and truth-seeking come first. 

The founders believe Homer deserves a newsroom that reflects its values. They are dedicated to creating a local news source that highlights respectful conversation, informed debate, accountability that is fair, and stories that help residents understand one another. In a time when many communities are losing their voice, the Homer Independent Press is choosing to reclaim its center: local, independent, and grounded in community.

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