Our Mission

The Comma Community Lab is a community-owned tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit that will operate The Spokesman-Review as its flagship publication in Spokane, Washington, through subscriptions, advertising, live events, philanthropy and grant funding.

Comma leads one of the largest newsroom-driven nonprofits in the nation, anchored by the 142-year-old Spokesman-Review, one of the last independent newspapers in the United States.

The Comma Community Journalism Lab is committed to telling the stories that matter most to local readers, while educating and mentoring the next generation of journalists.

We believe in the power of the Virtuous Circle, a complex chain of events that reinforce themselves through a positive feedback loop. Comma has gained dedicated partners unprecedented in the newspaper industry. All of the region’s colleges, universities and public schools, as well as top business leaders, philanthropists and grassroots organizations, have agreed to invest in growing community news and engagement.

The status quo is not our plan. Comma is a disruptor by design. That applies to every aspect of our organization, from the way the newsroom works, to the role of advertising, to how the paper is delivered each day.

Comma is being built in Spokane but is a model for the future of journalism nationwide.