The weight of a small-town story
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, March 3, 2026
This week’s front-page story, “Islander bankrolled by Epstein on and off for nearly two decades,” began the way many important local stories do: with a tip from an islander.
That matters. In a place like Vashon, strong local journalism depends on a community willing to pay attention, ask questions and reach out when something seems worth examining. A newspaper does not do this work alone. It relies on readers being its eyes and ears.
This story also shows why local reporting can be difficult — and why it is so important. On a small island, nearly every story touches real people with real ties — neighbors, relatives, colleagues, friends, former classmates, public figures and private citizens whose lives overlap in complicated ways. That can make accountability reporting uncomfortable. But that’s no reason to look away.
Part of the value of this story lies in layers and nuance.
The reporting did not accuse Ben Goertzel of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes. It did not say that professional association is the same as criminal complicity. But it also did not ignore what newly released files appear to show: a long-running relationship, financial support over many years, and ties that continued after Epstein’s 2008 plea deal.
That is all newsworthy.
It is also part of a larger truth. For years, Epstein used money, status and access to draw scientists and other intellectual figures into his orbit. That was part of how he polished his image and extended his influence. Reporting on those connections is not idle curiosity. It helps explain how powerful people use respected institutions and accomplished individuals to make themselves look legitimate.
That context also helps explain why this story lands close to home. Rebecca Goertzel and Carol Goertzel appear nowhere in the files. There is no evidence they were connected in any way to Ben Goertzel’s relationship with Epstein. They should not be implicated by association.
We made the complicated decision to include family member names in the story because the laudable roles played by those family members in the community add relevant context.
Ben Goertzel’s acceptance of Epstein’s funding stands in contrast to his sister’s work serving children and families in local schools and his mother Carol’s long career advocating for vulnerable women and children, which included leadership in social service organizations and recognition as Advocate of the Year by the Child Welfare League of America.
Accountability should not fuel cruelty. Readers can take reporting seriously without turning to harassment or online pile-ons. We can insist on scrutiny and still be decent to one another.
This story began with a tip from an islander. We hope it is a reminder: Keep writing in. Keep calling. Keep sharing what you know. Community journalism is strongest when the community helps make it possible.
And we will keep doing our part — reporting carefully, fairly and without flinching when a story matters.
— Aspen Anderson, Editor
