The Portager tells the story of Portage County
Funded exclusively by our community, The Portager’s mission is to be a catalyst for ideas and action that help our community thrive. We cover local government, businesses and nonprofits, schools, and things to do around town.
“I support The Portager because Portage County needs a news source
that’s invested in our future.”
— Roger Di Paolo,
Record-Courier editor (1991-2017)
How we make a difference in Portage County
- Local news and nothing else.
- The Portager only publishes news, events and opinions that matter to Portage County. We don’t cover national politics or clickbait wire stories. Our readers consistently ask us to focus on local issues, so that’s what our reporters and columnists give you.
- Published wherever you like to read.
- We meet you where you are. The Portager publishes an email newsletter every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can find our print newspaper around Portage County every other week. And our website is available 24/7.
- Supported by you.
- The Portager isn’t owned by a national corporation or deep-pocketed billionaire. All of our revenue comes from our subscribers and local advertisers who believe in the power of local news to solve community challenges and bring people together.
Our track record
Why local news matters
Research shows that communities with strong local news sources have:
Join us
Sign up for a free account to experience The Portager or consider supporting our work with a paid subscription.
The Portager team
Ben Wolford, editor and publisher, ben@theportager.comChristina Asencio, director of operations, christina@theportager.com
Natalie Wolford, managing editor, natalie@theportager.com
Wendy DiAlesandro, lead reporter
Tom Hardesty, senior editor and sports columnist, tom@theportager.com
Rachel Abbey McCafferty, contributing editor
Want to join us? Write to jobs@theportager.com.
The Portager board
Mike Beder, Kent entrepreneur
Jodie Fiala, owner of Jake’s
Eats in Mantua
Jeff Fruit, former Director of the Kent State School
of Journalism and Mass Communication
Barbara J. Hipsman Springer,
Kent State University emeritus professor of journalism
In memory of Roger Di Paolo, Record-Courier editor 1991-2017, Portager board member 2020-2021
Benefactors
All Portager subscribers and advertisers contribute to make this publication possible. Some individuals have gone above and beyond to fund our projects and support the professional development of early career journalists.
Carl and Ann Schierhorn
Fred Endres
Roger Di Paolo
Contact
330-249-1338
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General contact and news tips
editors@theportager.com
Advertising inquiries
ads@theportager.com
Mailing address
2606 Hilliard Rome Rd., PMB 3105
Hilliard, OH 43026