“But I don’t want to lose my paper!” They’re not going to change my paper, are they?” “ It’s too bad our paper has to lose its name.” These are typical of comments heard a few weeks ago when three newspapers were merged to form the Westside Eagle Observer. At least we knew folks were reading their papers!
A discussion with friends at the Senior Center one day revealed a definite desire to hang on to their printed newspapers, but the fact is that their grown children often get their news on the Internet and increasingly on their cell phones.The good news for those who like the information they get from newspapers and want to see them continue is that in most American markets the top source for local information is the newspaper’s Web site.
Dean Ridings, president and CEO of the Florida Press Association and a former publisher, said, “A recent ComScore survey ranked local newspaper Web sites first among allsources for trustworthiness, credibility and most informative place to find local content of all types, including news, information, entertainment and sports.”
The way that people get their information is changing, but newspapers usually have more reporters in almost every community and no one covers local news better.
This week, Oct. 3-9, is National Newspaper Week and a good time to highlight the importance of newspapers to the local community. Readers rely on their paper for the most accurate news and updates on current events, consumers look there for bargains, parents keep up with their children’s activities at school.The list is endless.
Ridings noted in a recent column that he frequently hears that the death of newspapers is imminent. But printed newspapers often sell out after weather disasters like our ice storm a few years ago and other significant events. People still buy copies of the paper when their child makes the honor roll or their team wins, and for many the newspaper obituary is the defining memorial for a loved one. The ritual of reading a Sunday paper continues to be strong, and many community newspapers have experienced circulation stability and even growth.
Leonard Pitts, Jr., of the Miami Herald has pointed out that newspapers are the one medium that has proven resistant to political exploitation.
“Because they still try and occasionally succeed in getting it right, in telling the story fully and fairly, they become the closest thing American political discourse has to an honest broker,” wrote Pitts. “That function has seldom been more critically important than it is now.”
Newspapers will continue to report the news that is relevant to their community. We can be assured of continued change, but we can also expect that newspapers will be around tomorrow, providing local information better than everyone else in a multitude of options.
Susan Holland, who works for the Westside Eagle Observer, is a lifelong Benton County resident.
Opinion, Pages 6 on 10/06/2010