This week marks six months since The Overlook began publishing every Friday morning. In that time, our audience has grown to 4,000 dedicated weekly readers and counting. Your tips, ideas, donations, encouragement, and belief in robust local journalism have fueled our mission to deliver independent, high-quality local news to Woodstock, Saugerties, Hurley, Hunter, Olive, and Shandaken.
We’re celebrating another milestone: the hiring of veteran reporter Jim Rich. Jim has worked in journalism for more than 25 years, twice serving as editor-in-chief of the New York Daily News. While there, he oversaw an investigation into New York City’s misuse of nuisance abatement laws, in partnership with ProPublica—work that earned the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. He lives in West Shokan with his wife and son.
“All journalism is local journalism,” Jim says. “This holds true whether you are covering the White House, the state house, or a small-town planning board. The truthful, accurate, and expedient dissemination of information to the public is the sign of a healthy democracy. The need for accurate, truthful, and expedient information has never been greater in my lifetime. Having lived in the Catskills for 13 years, the dearth of news coverage in the area has been startling. The Overlook is vital to the quality of life in our region.”
This weekend marks 56 years since the Woodstock Festival, a moment in time that captured the town’s 1960s spirit in three days of peace, love, and music. In this edition, we find a local government far removed from that legacy, but a creative energy that continues to thrive.
We’re also launching Letters to the Editor—your chance to join the conversation. Send letters to PO Box 414, Saugerties, NY 12477 or email letters@theoverlooknews.com. Click here for our submission guidelines.
Local journalism is a public good, just like emergency response or public education. Without it, communities lose more than stories—they lose shared facts, civic connection, and the ability to hold power to account. In six months, we’ve already seen how reporting can spark action and rebuild trust. With Jim on board and your voices in the mix, we’re ready to tell more of the stories that matter most to our towns.
Thank you for being part of our first six months. Here’s to the next six—and beyond.
Noah Eckstein
Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.