A few of the recent letters to the editor (Ferm, 10/29/18, and Mumaw, 10/15/18) lamenting High Country News’ shifts toward coverage reflecting the issues faced by people in the region — not just white recreationists, ranchers or public-lands managers, but people, including immigrants, prisoners, queer people and others, who have often been overlooked in the American West’s homogenous image of itself — make me wonder what direction these readers wish the magazine would take instead.
I can’t remember a time when High Country News was not a part of my life, from cutting out funny pictures in the black-and-white newsprint pages as a child to now, nearly 30 years later, looking forward to my annual holiday gift renewal from my parents. (You’re not getting out of it this year, Dad!) The magazine has always seemed to reflect my family and my communities’ conversations, as we’ve learned and grown and, hopefully, become better at listening to the stories that might not look like our own, but have equally shaped the regions we call home, in all its contradictions, beauty, injustices and nuance. Thank you for always striving to do justice to our stories.
Erica Watson
Denali Park, Alaska
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Doing justice to our stories.