Ink Spots Matt Paxton
Next week, Oct. 5-11, is National Newspaper Week. Newspapers in the United States and Canada have used this week for the past 85 years to remind people of the role that newspapers play in our country and our local communities. It’s also appropriate to remember that the newspapers and all forms of public expression, from broadcast media to online websites and blogs, exist in America under the protection of the guarantees of the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Local journalism is the heartbeat of informed communities. It brings stories to light that national outlets often overlook —stories about school board decisions, city council debates, neighborhood events, and local heroes. In a world increasingly shaped by global headlines and social media noise, reconnecting with local news is vital for civic engagement, accountability, and community resilience.
Local journalism matters because we need informed citizens. Local reporting empowers people with the information they need to make decisions in their everyday lives — from voting to attending town hall meetings. Local journalism provides accountability. Local journalists often serve as watchdogs, uncovering corruption or negligence that directly impacts their communities.
Local news fosters a sense of belonging by highlighting stories that resonate on a personal level, fostering community connection. Thriving local media also supports the local economy, by supporting small businesses through advertising and partnerships.
The role of newspapers in our nation was so important to the Founders that freedom of the press is enshrined specifically in the First Amendment. They realized that democracy depends on the free expression of ideas. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”
The News-Gazette has a long history of serving our community, and we value greatly the support and affirmation we get from readers, subscribers, donors and advertisers. We value also the critiques of our work because we know we can always be better.
The print version of the newspaper has been, and remains, our flagship publication. But our digital offerings are more robust and important every day. To that end, we’ve created a new position of digital content manager, and hired Beverly Thorman to fill that job. Beverly has hit the ground running and has stepped up our posting on TheNews-Gazette.com, adding videos to the site and to our Facebook and Instagram pages. Expect to see more enhancements coming soon.
As a part of the Press Forward grant the paper got last year, we completed the Local Independent Online News Publishers (LION) Sustainability Audit, which looked at all aspect of our operation and offered constructive recommendations with links to resources. I think this will be very helpful to us as we navigate this changing world of local journalism.
Community journalism has never been so important, and so challenged. We’re committed at The News-Gazette to keeping it alive here in Rockbridge and making sure there is an independent voice keeping this community informed and aware.
