As I ready to step away from my position at The Seattle Occasions with the shut of 2025, I discovered myself reflecting not on a single second, however on a lifetime of service — service to journalism, to this extraordinary metropolis and to the readers who’ve trusted us for generations. It has been the nice honor of my life to assist steward one of many only a few remaining family-owned newspapers in America. That distinction has by no means been about nostalgia or custom for custom’s sake. It’s about independence. Concerning the freedom to pursue reality with out concern or favor, to spend money on long-term journalism and to position public service above quarterly returns.
Over time, The Seattle Occasions has produced work that makes me deeply proud — reporting that has held establishments accountable, illuminated injustice, celebrated resilience and helped this area higher perceive itself. From investigations that sparked reform to storytelling that captured the guts of our communities, our newsroom has constantly proven what journalism at its greatest may be: rigorous, honest, humane and important.
None of that work occurs in isolation. It occurs due to a neighborhood that cares — readers who interact, query, problem and assist; journalists who carry integrity and braveness to their craft every single day; and a metropolis that believes a free and impartial press issues.
Seattle has formed me as a lot as I’ve cherished serving it. This can be a metropolis of thinkers and doers, of compassion and conviction, of innovation paired with a deep sense of duty to 1 one other. To have had a front-row seat to its progress, its struggles and its progress has been a privilege I don’t take flippantly.
To our readers, close to and much, thanks. Thanks for inviting us into your houses, your conversations and your lives. Thanks for holding us to excessive requirements and for sharing our perception that journalism performed with care and conscience strengthens democracy itself.
As I flip the web page, I accomplish that with immense gratitude and confidence in the way forward for The Seattle Occasions. The mission endures. The dedication to this neighborhood endures. And my appreciation for all of you endures most of all. As of Jan. 1, my son Ryan Blethen succeeds me as Seattle Occasions writer. He has 30 years of journalism expertise and a deep dedication to the Blethen household legacy, and I do know he’ll do an excellent job main The Occasions into the long run.
