Two weekends ago, Fallbrook resident Valerie Thruelsen very generously sponsored the second annual Halloween fundraiser to support the Fallbrook Historical Society and our Village News intern and mentorship program. It was a joyful evening – full of laughter, conversation, music, and neighbors simply enjoying one another, which was one of the goals. But behind the costumes and celebration was something deeper: a commitment to community.
For years, we’ve worked with young people from all kinds of backgrounds – straight-A students, quiet creatives, teenagers who are searching for direction, and those who have been told they might not succeed. We’ve seen firsthand how giving them meaningful responsibility, guidance, and the chance to be successful and published can change the way they see themselves and their future.
When a young person learns how to interview someone respectfully, how to express their thoughts clearly, how to build relationships with leaders in their own town – something shifts. They gain confidence. They discover strengths they didn’t know they had. They realize that life is bigger and more fulfilling than the endless scroll of TikTok or curated personas online. They learn to contribute rather than simply consume.
But as valuable as this work is, supporting the next generation is only one piece of the puzzle.
We are living in a time where real news – verifiable, accountable, independent journalism – is getting harder and harder to find. Just this week, I was sent two videos that people believed were from well-known public figures. They looked almost real – but they weren’t. They were AI-generated impersonations. Not satire. Not parody. Someone, somewhere, intentionally created them to appear truthful.
This is the world we are now in.
If you don’t know who to trust, if you can’t verify sources, if anyone’s voice can be mimicked or fabricated – then community reporting becomes not just valuable, but essential.
Because community news is grounded in relationships. We look each other in the eye – at the grocery store, at the football field, at the planning group meeting, at church, at Rotary, at events like Valerie’s. We are accountable to the place we live. We are accountable to you.
There are national organizations right now investing millions of dollars into rebuilding local journalism. Just this month, the American Journalism Project announced $3.5 million in support for growing local newsrooms across the country – part of a larger $243 million effort to revive community news. It’s heartening to see momentum. It’s encouraging to see acknowledgment of how important this work is.
But as of today, we have not been awarded any of that funding.
Our survival – and our growth – still depends on the people who live here, who care about this village, these hills, these neighborhoods, these businesses, these families.
If you have ever read something in Village News or Valley News that helped you…
• understand an issue
• discover a business
• honor a life
• celebrate a student
• learn what happened down the street
• or feel more connected to this place we all call home
…then we welcome your support. Truly.
Your support would allow us to digitize and modernize operations, hire more editorial and marketing staff, expand our mentorship program, and continue preserving the history and narrative of our community – accurately, honestly, and with care.
Local news is not just about reporting.
It is about belonging.
It is about memory.
It is about guardrails in a world where truth can be distorted in seconds.
It is about young people finding their place and their voice.
If you feel that matters, now is the time to stand with us. As the season nears and you are generously donating to causes that are important to you, we would appreciate your support.
With gratitude,
Julie Reeder
Publisher, Village News, Valley News, Anza Valley Outlook and Sourcebook Magazine
