How a plan to turn the Spokane Spokesman-Review into “The People’s Paper” ended in a newsroom revolt
Culture Index
Score Breakdown
Relevance
9/25
Freshness
25/25
Authority
18/20
Brand Signal
6/15
Depth
5/15
5-Axis Cultural Radar
When the Spokesman-Review announced plans to transfer Spokane’s 143-year-old, family-owned newspaper to a nonprofit founded by executive editor Rob Curley, it took over the front page. “The People’s Paper,” read the April 16, 2025, headline, saying ownership would transfer “to you, the community.” Key to the plan was Curley, the folksy self-proclaimed “journalism nerd” who...
