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In this business, like any smalltown business, we have to make some tough decisions on a daily and weekly basis.
Those decisions can be as simple as, “Should we run that photo on Page One or Page Three?” or as difficult as, “Should we call that Board out for violating the public meetings laws by discussing pertinent issues outside of a public meeting?”
We make these decisions based on a few guiding principles to help us pick the right path.
Truth, accuracy and objectivity are the cornerstones of what we do — the cornerstones of journalism ethics.
When putting together the paper each week, we also ask ourselves, “Is this the right thing to do for our readers and for the community?”
Being a journalist has always been a balancing act between getting the facts right and keeping the readers happy and informed. In a perfect world, these would go together hand-in-hand.
Unfortunately, our role as a government watchdog, combined with the misinformation campaigns and propaganda disguised as news, has made our mission tougher than ever these days.
Thankfully, the misinformation campaigns have generally taken aim at national politics and national issues. Unfortunately, these campaigns are making a mark here, too. I can’t begin to count the number of times we’ve been labeled as “fake news.”
The common thought these days that newspapers are a thing of the past and an unnecessary part of modern day life has also been pretty disconcerting.
I have to tell you, it’s awfully frustrating to hear folks say they don’t read a newspaper, then hear them quote something straight out of the newspaper.
And, just because you might read it on your phone, from a web page or a social media post doesn’t mean it didn’t come from a newspaper.
Yes, over the years, our industry and our jobs have had to evolve. One thing remains constant, though — our desire to educate and inform the public.
Our industry has done a great job of adapting to today’s changing world.
We have web pages, apps, E-Editions, Facebook pages, Twitter (X) pages, YouTube and Instagram. We haven’t, however, done as great a job of telling folks just how much we’ve changed and adapted, and everything we have to offer.
In the last few years, the landscape has begun to change. Not everyone can keep up with all of the changes and the amount of time required to stay ahead of the technology curve, and several newspapers have been forced to close their doors.
When we first came to Nebraska 32 years ago, there were 167 newspapers in the state. Today, we have 145 newspapers. That same story is true across the country, as well.
According to Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications’ October 2022 State of Local News report, “Newspapers are continuing to vanish at a rapid rate. An average of more than two a week are disappearing.”
Since 2005, the country has lost more than 2,500 newspapers. The country lost more than 360 newspapers between the pre-pandemic months of late 2019 and the end of May 2022. That’s 360 communities that have lost their historian, their watchdog, and essentially, their voice.
Our business is like any other Main Street business. We need community support to survive.
If you want to help make sure this voice of the community stays strong and vibrant, buy a subscription. If you already have a subscription, buy one for a friend or family member. We’ve even seen people buy subscriptions just to donate them to the local nursing home or senior citizen center.
The reason we’re here is to tell your story. The decision to do that is still the easiest one we make each week.
