Editorial

Community newspapers here to stay

Thursday, June 4, 2015

The world of journalism exists in a constant state of flux, and indeed, the very definition of the profession has expanded in our current digital age. With social media sites, blogs, magazines, and online-only news sources adding their voices to the traditional newspapers and television stations, consumers find themselves living in a constant whirlwind of media output. No story is too big, and neither does it seem that any story is too small to be brought to the forefront of collective knowledge. Lines are drawn, and then crossed, and then erased and re-drawn on a seemingly daily basis.

So where in this reeling storm of public information does the hometown newspaper find its place? It has been said far too often that print news is either dead or dying, and that journalists are fleeing the newspaper business like the proverbial rats leaving a sinking ship, but we contend that in fact the opposite is true.

It is true that large newspapers have had to suffer some serious trimming down in the ranks since the widespread usage of digital media affected their circulations. However, the scope of service offered to their readers is much less broad, and indeed less personally important, than what a community newspaper offers to its subscribers.

When it comes to covering local news, a community paper has local reporters working on the ground level, day in and day out, with local elected officials covering local issues. They are connected, they are paying attention, and they care. A local news staff is listening to the community, answering emails and taking phone calls from local subscribers, doing their best to ethically report the news that matters to area residents.

While regional TV stations and national news blogs may report on the bigger stories which impact us all, they cannot and do not say what the local Mayor and city councilmen think about current city financial issues. They do not have a reporter on the scene at a devastating car crash on Main Street or in the High School's auditorium for an important community concert. They aren't the place for local parents to see their childrens' sports teams in action, or for grandparents to announce the birth of a new addition to their family. They do not generate revenue for local businesses through advertising, or provide a public forum for buying and selling both goods and services on a local level. Neither will they provide space for locals to air their own thoughts and opinions on issues that matter to them.

In short, the local newspaper will not only continue to survive...it will thrive, because it is nothing less than the heartbeat of the community. We will continue to be a presence, not only reporting breaking news in new and varying formats, but serving as a watchdog to monitor the spending of public funds and the actions of elected officials as well as taking time to tell the real life stories of our friends and neighbors.

We need the community, and the community needs us.

"To look at the paper is to raise a seashell to one's ear and to be overwhelmed by the roar of humanity." - Alain de Botton

sspears@blythevillecourier.com