Chris Hardie
I'm a newspaper publisher, reporter and technologist. I've built and led organizations in both software and local news.
Journalism & publishing
Local news, up close.
I work at the intersection of journalism, technology and civic engagement, mostly by running a community newspaper, experimenting with ways to keep people informed, and writing about what I learn along the way.
Western Wayne News
I'm the owner and publisher of this print and online community newspaper. We cover the towns, schools and people of Wayne County, Indiana.
At the Crossroads
My new book collects a year of my weekly newspaper columns in one place. It's a mix of humor, personal stories, and civic observation. Available in paperback or ebook.
Other writing
My byline has appeared in a few other spots including McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Strong Towns, and various journalism-related newsletters. I also write semi-regularly on three other blogs:
Personal blog
Life, family, travel, politics, community affairs and whatever's on my mind, going back to 1999.
Tech & software blog
Practical notes on software, Laravel, home automation, WordPress and infrastructure.
Lately
Chronicle
A running stream of the things I've been posting, publishing and linking to lately.
- Election ballot errors affect uncontested town races
Western Wayne NewsWhile some of Wayne County’s towns might have hundreds of…
- Report to the Community, 2026 Q3
Civic Spark Media LLCAs a part of our goal to operate for the…
- Report to the Community, 2026 Q2Civic Spark Media LLC
As a part of our goal to operate for the…
- Report to the Community, 2026 Q1Civic Spark Media LLC
As a part of our goal to operate for the…
- Report to the Community, 2025 Q4Civic Spark Media LLC
As a part of our goal to operate for the…
- Police fuel cost increases weigh town’s 2027 budgetWestern Wayne News
Centerville Town Council adopted its 2027 budget during a brief…
- Online academies draw students from Richmond schoolsWestern Wayne News
Richmond Community Schools lost about 35 students from its enrollment…
- Cambridge City fast-tracks $1M bond for water repairsWestern Wayne News
The burden of repairing and rebuilding Cambridge City’s civil infrastructure…
- State sues former sanitary clerk, insurer for $906KWestern Wayne News
The Indiana Attorney General’s Office filed a civil lawsuit Oct.…
- Cambridge City takes closer look at flood-damaged structuresWestern Wayne News
Cambridge City’s town council voted Monday, Oct. 12, to join…
- Blue Ribbon award
stumble.pressOn Friday, Sept. 25, I attended the Hoosier State Press…
- Newspaper office floodedstumble.press
When I wrote my last post, Quite a Day, I…
Software
Building tools for the open web.
I'm a full stack developer who's been building websites and software for decades, now with a focus on Laravel, WordPress, publishing tools and software that helps communities. Here are a few things I work on or contribute to.
Want to know more?
I also consult, speak, volunteer and invest. Here are a few good places to go next.