Keep people informed
The message from the reader was clear.
“With all due respect, why is our local media seemingly burying its head in the sand here?”
The reader was questioning what they saw as a lack of reporting and coverage on the escalating cases of COVID-19 in the area and called out this newspaper for not delivering the news they needed to see. The feedback was welcomed and helps us make decisions when allocating news resources to be responsive to provide the information our readers want and need.
Local newspapers continue to fill an important role in the community, providing trusted, reliable information to the communities they serve. This allows individuals to make informed choices based on what is going on in their community as to their own behaviors and that of their loved ones. This may include taking extra precautions or, if immune compromised, choosing to stay home rather than risk being exposed at an event or gathering.
Unbiased and fair reporting on issues such as those around vaccination and the recent mandates being imposed by individual employers and the federal government, gives people the tools to make informed public health choices. As with all responsible reporting, newspapers separate the kernels of valuable information from the chaff that seeks to confuse or confound the issue and call out those who seek to play political games with public health.
It is a foundational belief in American democracy that well-informed individuals will make the right choice for themselves and their communities. The challenge rests in ensuring that individuals are well armed with facts rather than swayed by conjecture, rumor and the false narratives found on social media, workplace water cooler chat sessions or overheard at the local tavern.
For local newspapers and reporters, the job description is a deceptively simple one. Find what people want and need to know and report on it.
The economic rollercoaster ride that all businesses have experienced over the past few years has hit newspapers and other local media hard. While residents see canceled events, closed doors of businesses and no products on shelves as the result of supply chain snafus as inconveniences or disruptions in their plans, newspapers survive through advertising dollars. No events, no inventory to sell and businesses closing their doors means no advertising and no revenue to pay reporters and other staff. This is the reality that has forced hundreds of community newspapers to close their doors in recent years. For many others it has resulted in staffing cuts and decreasing resources in time and space for coverage.
There are some who are trying to help turn that around.
“Local journalism, no matter what form it’s in, truly does contribute to the fabric of a community,” said Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) “You’re not going to find too many large-market sources of news reporting on your local city council or high school basketball scores.”
Newhouse is the Republican co-sponsor of the bipartisan Local Journalism Sustainability Act, which is gaining support in Congress as a way to throw a lifeline through temporary tax credits to community newspapers that continue to do their job and keep reporters pounding the pavement to provide readers with the information they need in order to make informed choices.
The best way to ensure that newspapers are able to continue their mission to provide readers with the tools to make informed decisions, is to help ensure the continued economic viability of media in a rapidly changing marketplace. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act provides that lifeline to allow local newspapers to continue serving their readers and communities.
Contact Rep. Tom Tiffany and Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson and urge them to support this bipartisan legislation to keep local news strong.
