Every few months, we hear a report about the impending demise of the newspaper industry.
A newspaper is closing down, or a chain of daily papers has announced layoffs. Some will proclaim that it’s another blow for the industry, and it’s only a matter of time until the last of the newspapers has died out.
Yet many newspapers, particularly at the community level, are not only surviving, but they’re thriving. They aren’t showing signs of fading into obscurity any time soon.
This week marks National Newspaper Week. It’s a week to reflect on what newspapers, regardless of whether it’s a daily, a weekly or another paper, mean to your community.
And the theme, “Newspapers: Now More than Ever,” reflects how the industry still plays an important role in the day-to-day lives of people.
While the industry has gone through some tough times, it’s still an industry that has a future, and it is ever evolving. Take a look at a copy of the Mercury and compare how it looked 10, 20 or 50 years ago. From the logo to the photos to the printing quality to the size of the page, it’s a different look.
In 2000, most papers in Saskatchewan printed only in black and white. The front page might be the only one in colour.
Most papers didn’t have websites. Now they’re updated on a regular basis. Some papers might update their site once a week, when their paper is released, or if they have breaking news. Others, like the Mercury, update their site several times a day, and have other content besides just editorial copy.
Websites have become another important part of the operations for newspapers of all sizes in the country.
But it’s still the printed paper that people are turning to for their information. They like to hold it in their hands and read all of the stories as they work their way from the front page to the back page. They rely on their paper to deliver the information, both good and bad, on what is happening in their community, regardless of whether it’s a city of a million people or a town of a thousand people.
And they trust what’s in the paper.
That’s a big reason why they’re important now more than ever.
In this day and age, many people seem to think they have a green light to post or share whatever they want, regardless of whether it’s the truth. With many so-called news websites online, it’s hard to know for sure how accurate the story is, or if there’s any truth at all. And some people will believe (and share) anything if it fits their agenda.
Other people believe they have immunity from libel if they post it on their Facebook page.
But you can believe what’s in your paper. After all, if it’s inaccurate, it could lead to a lawsuit, or a lost job, or lost credibility.
You might not like what was written. You might not be happy with the story. But that doesn’t mean it’s inaccurate, or that it shouldn’t be printed.
Newspaper reporters are in the courtrooms to find out about a trial or a hearing or the docket court session. They’re in the city council chambers to bring the news from that meeting to their readers.
If they need to hold someone accountable, they do just that. If they need to be tough, they will be. And if someone does something that’s fantastic, well, our paper is looking for those stories as well. (We have a few of those stories in this week’s paper).
It’s part of being a community newspaper, and in the newspaper industry as a whole.
We could talk at length about the survey earlier this year that showed 88 per cent of Canadians say they read a newspaper in the print or online platform, or we could cite the stats about how people continue to trust the paper for information on what’s happening at city hall, the local rink or the art gallery.
But we think you already know how important your newspaper is to your community and the people who live there.
Newspapers still matter, and they’re needed more than ever.
