The Stillwegian is an independent local news product covering the people, decisions, and moments that shape life in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Payne County. A digital newspaper if you will.
I'm Chris Peters, the founder and most of the operation. I do the reporting, photography, editing, social media, website, and business development — sometimes all on the same afternoon. Where the coverage calls for it, I work with local writers, photographers, and creators to expand what one person can do, but everything you read here starts with me.
The Stillwegian came out of beta in January 2025. I built it the way I'd want a local news product to work: digital-first, easy to read on any screen, delivered straight to your inbox, and free of the filler and disrespectful advertising that gets in the way of the reader.
My mission is to encourage civic engagement and empower you to make a difference in your world. I believe that well-informed citizens are the backbone of a stronger and more resilient community.
What I Cover
Local Government & Education
City council, county commissioners, school board — if public officials are making decisions that affect your life here, I'm in the room. I read the agendas, attend the meetings, and translate the bureaucratic language into plain English.
Sports
Oklahoma State University athletics and Stillwater High School varsity sports, covered with original reporting and photography — not score recaps lifted from a press release.
Community & Culture
Local businesses, arts, events, and the people who make Stillwater worth living in.
My Approach
I didn't come to journalism through a traditional path. While I did spend valuable time at my local newspaper, I'm a tech person at heart, and I think about The Stillwegian the way a developer thinks about a product — constantly iterating, cutting what doesn't work, and building toward something genuinely useful.
What has stayed constant is the editorial commitment: accurate, independent reporting with no political agenda and no outside investors telling me what to cover and what tools I can use to get the job done. Advertising supports the operation, but advertisers don't influence the journalism.
I believe local news is the foundation of a healthy media diet that needs to exist reliably, honestly, and in service of the people who live here.
Have a tip, a story idea, or a question? Get in touch.
