And then there were none

Sadly, after regularly covering Sounders and Reign since those teams were established, the Seattle Times seems to be in line to eliminate that routine.

Was just informed that @seattletimes.com is ceasing beat coverage of soccer. Massive loss for both local and national soccer community.
— Jeremiah Oshan (@jeremiah.sounderatheart.com) September 22, 2026 at 12:41 PM

When the Seattle Sounders launched, the Everett Herald, The News Tribune and the Seattle Times all regularly attended practice. It was the bloggers and podcasters that were the outsiders until invited by the club.

Much has changed in local print media. Newspapers are struggling, most not really finding the bridge to business success in the digital era – they're in even more danger now with AI summaries and the zero-click era of search and social.

Beat reporters in midsize and major cities are in constant danger of layoffs. McClatchy recently let go of reporters throughout the Pacific Northwest's smaller dailies.

The Times is not eliminating Jayda Evans, according to Oshan. Instead, they’re eliminating the regular coverage of the soccer teams and shifting her to other beats.

Sports is a relatively minor loss, though major for this specific audience. It’s a shame that the tradition of coverage from Jose Romero, Josh Mayers, Matt Pentz, Geoff Baker, and Don Ruiz will not continue.

Their depth, angles of stories and the variety can only be available by live, regular attendance at practices, games and press conferences. A multitude of media people build better coverage for every fan and every person that wants to be knowledgeable about the local soccer scene.

This is also true for local coverage of crime, politics, business, and disasters. Without real people on the ground, we lose our connections to our communities. We lose access to the news that most impacts are daily lives. Without multiple points of view, we don’t get the full story.

Local papers, local radio, local TV – they're important. If they go away, blogs and newsletters by hobbyists cannot replace them. You must find professionals who put in full-time hours for full-time coverage.

And it's up to you to support those that are doing the work. Ads won't support modern media. Only real people can.