Lost Coast Outpost is Humboldt County’s home page, serving the region’s 135,000 residents with comprehensive coverage of local news, traffic, and community events. The outlet is a project of Lost Coast Communications, an independent, locally owned media company based in Ferndale, California, and has become the largest audience news source in Humboldt County.
The Lost Coast Outpost functions as a tech-forward hyperlocal news website, covering everything from local government meetings and policies to wildfire updates, road closures, and civic elections. The outlet empowers residents to participate actively in local governance while maintaining focus on stories that mainstream media often neglects.
Hank Sims serves as editor and lead developer of the outlet. Sims is an alumnus of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism who has written for dozens of California publications, from the Los Angeles Times to regional journals. In April 2026, Sims spoke at Cal Poly Humboldt’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute about the challenges of keeping local media alive during a time of media consolidation, hyper-partisanship, and technological change.
The Lost Coast Outpost reaches its audience through multiple channels. Its readers skew female and span all ages with diverse interests, according to Lost Coast Communications. The outlet integrates social media and maintains a mobile-friendly website, catering to younger demographics while serving the full spectrum of Humboldt County residents.
Beyond the Lost Coast Outpost, Lost Coast Communications operates four local FM radio stations, establishing the company as a significant media presence across the North Coast. The organization’s physical headquarters is located at 517 3rd Street, Unit 22, in Eureka, California. The outlet publishes daily coverage of traffic incidents, emergency alerts, community events, and investigative journalism, supported by advertising revenue and reader contributions through its LoCO Fan Club membership program.
Sources
- Lost Coast Outpost — outlet description, coverage areas, and contact information
- Cal Poly Humboldt OLLI — Hank Sims presentation on local media challenges, outlet’s mission and scale
- Lost Coast Communications — audience demographics, radio station ownership, company structure
- DataForSEO search results — audience reach confirmation and outlet characteristics
