Re: Don’t take news for granted
To the editor,
Three cheers for our local papers! May local readers know what a blessing it is to have access to their weekly coverage.
These sentiments go out to not only the staff at Midwestern Newspapers, but other local newspapers as well.
No one provides the most relevant news to me, my neighbours, and former residents of our community than these local press outlets. Sad to say the art of community coverage of such issues as our local council decisions, business start-ups, or failings will never see ink in the national dailies that take the newsstand at $4 to $5 a pop. I would add that as a former correspondent for an unnamed daily from Owen Sound (provincial court and local councils) if what’s happening in Walkerton, Hanover, or South Bruce “doesn’t bleed then it never leads.” And as far as accessing such papers with a letter to the editor, forget it. Unless you’ve got a paid online subscription to their paper, they don’t want to hear from you.
But we should not take our local press for granted.
Tough financial times are upon all facets of local community journalism brought on by the likes of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media venues, which suck dry the limited advertising revenue available. They do this by leeching on others’ reporting which gets reposted over and over again throughout the network. (Believe me, they don’t give a rat’s petunia if your local church or legion has burnt to the ground!)
So to end on a more positive note: Again, three cheers for the local news and our editors and the reporters who do the grunt work to bring it to us.
David Wood
Mildmay
