MADERA - Big Valley News is an independent news organization based in Madera, California, that has developed from a small local computer bulletin-board system into a broader digital news and media operation serving California's Central Valley. Its history reflects the transformation of local journalism during the rise of the internet and illustrates the continuing importance of community-based reporting.
Today, Big Valley News describes itself as an independent Central Valley news source and publishes news, sports, agriculture, obituaries, weather, local arrests, editorials, and other community information. JW Porter is its publisher and editor, and the organization identifies 1997 as its founding year.
The Beginning: Zen Den Systems
The roots of Big Valley News go back further than the 1997 founding date. According to the organization's own history, Jack Porter began his involvement in online communication in 1989, when he opened a small bulletin-board system (BBS) in Madera called Zen Den Systems. At the time, the internet as we know it today was not a widely accessible public communications network. Bulletin-board systems were among the earliest ways for computer users to exchange messages and information electronically.
Zen Den Systems operated using Wildcat software and became part of the FIDO-Net system, a network that connected independent bulletin boards. The organization recalls controversy involving Zen Den Systems and other Fresno-area boards, showing that even these early computer networks could become communities with disagreements, competition, and strong personalities.
Over the next several years, Zen Den Systems grew considerably. According to Big Valley News's history, Boardwatch Magazine ranked the bulletin board as the 11th most popular board in North America in 1991. This early success was important because it established the technological and entrepreneurial foundation for Porter's later work in online journalism.
From Bulletin Board to Online Newspaper
The next major step came with the creation of MaderaOnline.com. Big Valley News describes MaderaOnline as Madera County's first online newspaper. This development mattered because newspapers were just beginning to explore the possibilities of publishing news online.
Instead of relying entirely on the traditional print newspaper model, an online publication could deliver information more quickly and potentially reach readers across a larger geographic area. For a community such as Madera, this created new opportunities for reporting local government, crime, public affairs, business, and community events.
Big Valley News's own history says that its transition into news reporting was influenced by an investigation involving a local government agency. After encountering resistance while attempting to obtain public records, Porter and MaderaOnline pursued the story and eventually obtained the records after the Madera County District Attorney intervened. The organization says this experience helped establish its commitment to investigative local journalism.
During the following years, MaderaOnline reported on controversial issues involving local government and law enforcement. According to the site's history, its coverage included a police shooting, an extortion complaint involving a district attorney, and lawsuits involving the county. The organization says this reporting drew both supporters and critics, a pattern that continued throughout its history.
The Creation of Big Valley News
In 2005, the organization acquired several domains connected with the "Big Valley" name. Initially, they did not use those domains extensively. By late 2009, however, the project took a major step forward.
Porter worked with a web designer to create the Big Valley News website. The name change represented more than a simple rebranding. The goal was to expand beyond Madera County and develop a news organization serving a larger portion of California's Central Valley.
The organization specifically identified Fresno and Clovis as areas it wanted to cover in addition to Madera, with the possibility of eventually expanding farther north into Merced County. In this sense, Big Valley News was designed from the beginning as a regional digital publication rather than simply a town newspaper.
This expansion also coincided with a major transformation in the news industry. During the late 2000s and early 2010s, newspapers across the United States were adapting to declining print circulation, changing advertising markets, and the growing influence of online news. Big Valley News's digital-first approach allowed it to operate without depending on the traditional print-newspaper model.
Developing a Central Valley Identity
As Big Valley News developed, its coverage broadened to include many aspects of Central Valley life. The site's current categories include local news, sports, agriculture, obituaries, weather, and local arrests. It also maintains opinion and editorial sections.
This mixture is characteristic of community journalism. A regional news outlet does not simply report major political stories. It also records the everyday life of a community: deaths and funerals, local events, agricultural developments, school-related issues, law enforcement activity, business news, and public meetings.
Agriculture is particularly significant because the Central Valley is one of the most important agricultural regions in the United States. Coverage of agricultural crime, farming, water, rural communities, and local businesses therefore connects Big Valley News to the region's economic life.
The publication has also maintained a strong emphasis on local personalities and community institutions. Its obituary section, for example, documents the deaths of longtime residents and community leaders. In this way, the website functions not only as a source of breaking news but also as a community archive.
Journalism and Controversy
Like many small independent news organizations, Big Valley News has developed an identity partly through its willingness to cover controversial subjects. Its own history emphasizes investigative reporting and its conflicts with people and institutions that did not always welcome scrutiny.
This kind of journalism can be particularly important at the local level. National news organizations generally have limited resources for covering city councils, county government, local law enforcement agencies, school districts, and small community controversies. Independent local publications can fill that gap.
At the same time, local journalism can be difficult because reporters and publishers operate in the same communities they cover. Political disagreements, personal relationships, and competing interpretations of events can make local reporting especially contentious.
Big Valley News's editorial section reflects this independent approach. The organization publishes opinion pieces and guest editorials alongside conventional news reports, giving the publication a recognizable editorial voice. Its website currently lists a dedicated "BVN Opinion" section.
A Difficult Period in 2023
Big Valley News experienced a significant interruption in its operations in early 2023. In a May 2023 editorial, Jack Porter explained that the website had gone dark toward the end of January and that regular updates did not resume until March.
Porter explained that he had suffered a serious medical emergency on January 19, 2023, while returning to Fresno State. He was airlifted from Fresno for emergency surgery and spent approximately a month in the hospital. According to his account, the illness left him temporarily unable to walk and without the use of his left arm.
After returning home to Madera, Porter underwent rehabilitation and began recovering with assistance from home-health nurses and a physical therapist. He said he returned to work on the website in March.
The episode demonstrated how closely a small independent media organization can depend on its publisher and key personnel. Unlike a large newspaper with dozens or hundreds of journalists, an independent digital publication may be closely tied to the people who run it. When those individuals are suddenly unable to work, the publication itself can be affected.
Expansion into Radio
Another important development occurred in 2022, when Big Valley News expanded into radio. The organization's history says that Big Valley Radio began broadcasting 24 hours a day with classic rock programming. This represented another step in the organization's evolution from an online newspaper into a broader local media operation.
The combination of online news and radio creates opportunities to reach different audiences. Readers can obtain news through the website, while listeners can consume programming through the radio operation. In an era when traditional media organizations have increasingly combined multiple platforms, this approach allows a small independent company to diversify its presence.
Big Valley News Today
Today, Big Valley News continues to operate from Madera and presents itself as "The Valley's Most Popular Independent News Outlet." Its current website carries stories from Madera, Fresno, and the wider Central Valley. Its coverage includes crime and courts, local government, community events, agriculture, entertainment, sports, obituaries, and opinion.
Recent coverage illustrates the publication's broad range. Stories have included the Madera Fair, criminal prosecutions in Fresno County, developments involving the North Fork Mono Casino, local law-enforcement activity, and community figures who have died.
The organization also maintains a public forum and an events section, extending its role beyond conventional news reporting. These features show its ongoing effort to serve as a community information hub rather than simply a breaking-news website.
Conclusion
The history of Big Valley News is ultimately a story about the evolution of local journalism and digital technology. It began with Jack Porter's 1989 Zen Den Systems bulletin board, developed through MaderaOnline, and eventually became Big Valley News, a regional publication serving communities across California's Central Valley.
Its development mirrors the broader transition from traditional newspapers to internet-based journalism. What began as an experiment in computer communication eventually became a platform for investigative reporting, community news, opinion, radio, and local information.
The organization's history also demonstrates the importance—and challenges—of independent journalism. Big Valley News has built its identity around local reporting, controversial stories, and a willingness to challenge public institutions. Its survival through technological changes, changing media habits, and personal setbacks illustrates the persistence required to operate a small independent news organization.
From a one-line bulletin board in Madera to a regional digital news and radio operation, Big Valley News represents more than three decades of change in how communities communicate and receive information. Its story is closely connected to the history of the internet itself: a period when small local experiments in computer communication evolved into powerful tools for journalism and community engagement.