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There鈥檚 still a lot of credibility when it comes to what is published on a page.
Your mind wants to believe something if you see it in a newspaper, a magazine or another printed form. A published book is going to grab you in more than an e-book or an audio book.
The internet can never have that level of credibility; anyone can go online and publish anything without any repercussions; what鈥檚 worse, some people will actually believe anything they read on Facebook or another website if it fits their agenda.
Broadcasting can never match that level of credibility, either. You hear it, but then you forget about it.
But when it鈥檚 in front of you, when you鈥檙e holding it in your hand, when somebody has actually taken the time and the money to publish it 鈥� that鈥檚 when it has enhanced credibility.
We鈥檙e nearing the end of National Newspapers Week, which runs from Oct. 4-10. At one time, it didn鈥檛 really register with people. Maybe the local paper would have a small ad, noting the occasion and thanking the readers, the carriers, the staff and everyone else who helped make the newspaper possible.
But in recent years, as newspapers have been vanishing, we鈥檙e seeing a greater emphasis on the industry and what newspapers mean to the community and how they keep people engaged.
It鈥檚 not just the big-city papers that are closing down; we鈥檙e also seeing small-town papers shuttered, as their revenues can鈥檛 keep pace with the cost of business. It鈥檚 particularly tough for smaller communities, where the community newspaper is the only source for trusted information. (Sorry, coffee rows and overtly biased social media sites aren鈥檛 the place to turn for information).听
In the Carlyle area, where else are you going to hear about all of the great things happening, other than in the Observer?
And as such, National Newspapers Week has taken on a greater level of significance.
This week鈥檚 theme is Champion the Truth. That鈥檚 not just the theme for this week. It鈥檚 a theme for newspapers everywhere every day, every week and every year. It鈥檚 a theme that reflects our job.
The challenges facing the newspaper industry are well-documented. These have not been easy times for print journalism. We鈥檝e faced challenging times, thanks to the ever-growing digital world, and newspapers haven鈥檛 always done a good job of adapting.
COVID-19 has only exacerbated the hurdles facing this line of work.
We鈥檝e done a pretty good job here at the Observer of adapting.
But other papers haven鈥檛 done well. Revenue sources that they used to lean on aren鈥檛 there any longer. And so it鈥檚 incumbent on them to evolve, rather than come with the approach of 鈥淭his is how we did it in 1990, and so that鈥檚 how we鈥檙e going to do it now.鈥�
The fundamentals of the newspaper don鈥檛 change. That鈥檚 why they鈥檙e the fundamentals. Belief in a standard of perfection. Good, clear, smart writing. Crisp layout. Eye-catching advertisements. Hard work. Good photography. And follow the basics of good writing, with good grammar and punctuation.
And there will always be that commitment to find and bring truth to you.
Outside of those fundamentals of the job, there isn鈥檛 much that would be the same from a decade ago.
You won鈥檛 find fake news here, although you might not always like what鈥檚 included within the pages of the Observer.
Long-time residents of the community. These people know it鈥檚 important to have a community paper and the important role it plays in keeping the community informed, of celebrating successes, of holding people accountable and of bringing the truth each week.
As long as there鈥檚 a Carlyle Observer, we鈥檙e going to be the champions of truth. We鈥檙e going to endeavour to bring the facts to you, because facts are sacred.
And we hope that you鈥檒l continue to count on us each week to keep you informed.
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