78th annual observance of National Newspaper Week

Published 10:45 am Saturday, October 6, 2018

Oct 7-13 is the 78th annual observance of National Newspaper Week. The theme for this year’s observance is “Journalism matters. NOW more than ever.” 

Simply put Journalism matters because our communities matter.

We mustn’t forget that.

It is because our communities matter that the stories we share in each and every issue of our paper matter so much. Yet, there are many among us who disagree. There are many who don’t see the relevance for newspapers in today’s digital world, with a growing number among us who lump all newspapers into the “fake news” category. But if our democracy matters, on any level, then our newspapers still matter as well, because there is still power in the press. There are still folks who value that power and use it to tell stories and write truths with passion an integrity. We strive to do it every day. 

As valuable as they are to all of us, other media sources simply do not provide the information on issues impacting the local level as newspapers can and often do. Instead, they often steer us in reverse, to a more exclusive, narrow focus, where we are selective of the information we choose to emphasize and only focus on points that align with our own views, limiting the potential for new thought and ideas.

We mustn’t forget that newspapers chronicle our communities and tell their stories, serving as historical record as well. Birth announcements, first touchdowns scored, weddings and obituaries, all clipped and saved in scrapbooks and on refrigerator doors, tell a story of us that would not be possible without community newspapers. 

As our state’s oldest continuously running newspaper, it’s a commitment and responsibility that we don’t take lightly. 

We may never agree with the stance of every editorial or the angle of every story but we should all agree that telling the stories of our communities still has value no matter how you vote, what side of the political line we tow. Reading your local newspaper is a way to know your local community, to provoke thought, generate new ideas and bring forth change and understanding through the power of print. 

At their best, community newspapers like our own are the constant source of local information. In good times and in bad, they focus solidly on community. They are at the very core of the ties that bind us, and they chronicle it all each day. 

Newspapers and what we stand for still matter and fighting the good fight does too. That’s the power of print and the press.