Local news, locally owned
The Portager is a new local news source for Portage County, Ohio.
We cover local government, businesses and nonprofits,
schools, and things to do around town. Our journalists have
written for The New York Times, Newsweek and, yes,
the Record-Courier. In fact, longtime Record-Courier editor
Roger Di Paolo is on our board.
Our mission is to be a catalyst for ideas and action that help
Portage County thrive.
Residents of Kent's South End commemorate the marking of the neighborhood as a historic district. Carter Eugene Adams/The Portager
What our readers say
'An essential service'
"I am elated at the return of local news, edited and written BY and FOR local people. Knowing what’s going on from Windham to Diamond, from Shalersville to Palmyra, from Hiram to Deerfield and all around our County is an essential service to the people of Portage County."
Sally Burnell
'Authentic and accessible'
"This local community news source is much needed in Portage County. It feels authentic and is accessible. In an age of big data companies using digital psychological manipulation, major disinformation campaigns, and the integrity of journalism at stake, The Portager is doing a great job covering topics local folks care about honestly."
Jessika Easterling
We're invested in Portage County
The publisher of The Portager is Ben Wolford, who graduated from Waterloo High School in 2007 and from Kent State's journalism program in 2011. He has written for and edited magazines and newspapers around the world.
But home is home. Ben started The Portager in the spring of 2020 to build a strong local news source for all of Portage County.
Today, The Portager's free newsletter and other channels reach over 50,000 readers every month. You can read our latest newsletters here.
Why local news matters
Research shows that communities with strong local news sources have...
Our vision for Portage County news
The Portager is already making a difference in our community. Because of our reporting, more people are attending public meetings, donating to charity and supporting local businesses.
We believe in the power of stories to foster solutions and solidarity. And we're in this for the long haul. We're constantly expanding our coverage and growing our readership — will you join us?
Pictured: Ben Wolford and his family in Kent, Ohio. Roger Hoover/The Portager
about our work from The Portager LLC. We will never share your
information with third parties except those that enable us to
provide our service, such as Mailchimp.
News: editors@theportager.com
Advertising: ads@theportager.com
