What newsletters does KUOW offer and how do I sign up?

Updated

KUOW currently promotes one newsletter on its site: The Rain Shadow, a curated list of "sunnier stories" — good-news items from KUOW's reporting. You sign up through the newsletter sign-up option on kuow.org. The site does not publish a full newsletter catalog, a publishing frequency, or a list of other email products, so treat The Rain Shadow as the confirmed offering and check the site's sign-up area for anything added later.

What The Rain Shadow is

KUOW describes it as "a curated list of sunnier stories from KUOW" — a counterweight to the station's regular mix of government, crime, economy, and election coverage. The pitch on the site is framed as an answer to "Looking for some good news?"

That framing tells you what to expect: a selection of lighter, positive local stories rather than a breaking-news alert service. It complements KUOW's reporting and podcasts rather than replacing them — the same newsroom's work, filtered for tone.

What the site does not specify

  • Frequency — daily, weekly, or otherwise is not stated.
  • Format — whether it's a plain email, a link roundup, or something else isn't described.
  • Other newsletters — no additional titles appear in the site material reviewed, but the absence of a listing isn't proof none exist.

If cadence matters to you before subscribing, the sign-up page is the place to check; the site's own description doesn't commit to a schedule.

How to sign up

  1. Go to kuow.org.
  2. Find the newsletter sign-up prompt — on the site it appears alongside the line "Subscribe to The Rain Shadow newsletter" with a Sign up now link.
  3. Follow the sign-up flow and provide the email address you want the newsletter sent to.
  4. Confirm your subscription if the flow asks you to (double opt-in is common for email lists, though KUOW's page doesn't spell out the steps).

Expected result: you receive The Rain Shadow at the address you entered, containing curated good-news stories from KUOW.

Common snags

  • You can't find the sign-up box. It's promoted in a specific spot on the homepage rather than a dedicated newsletters page; if the homepage layout has rotated, look for the newsletter mention in the site's promotional blocks or search the site for "Rain Shadow."
  • No confirmation email arrives. Check spam and promotions folders before trying again — the site doesn't state which sender address to expect.
  • You want news alerts, not a digest. The Rain Shadow is a curated good-news list, not a breaking-news service. For ongoing coverage, KUOW's shows and podcasts (including Seattle Now and Soundside) are the closer fit.

Is it worth subscribing?

Subscribe if you want a low-effort, positive-angle digest of KUOW's local reporting delivered by email and you're comfortable with an unspecified frequency. Skip it if you need timely alerts on specific beats — the newsletter's stated purpose is curation toward "sunnier" stories, not speed or completeness. Because KUOW doesn't publish the schedule or archive details on the pages reviewed, the practical test is to sign up and judge the first few issues against what you expected.