The Cook County News-Herald is a member of the Minnesota Newspaper Association (MNA), a statewide organization that helps us in myriad ways. As a very small rural newspaper, it is nice to have a strong trade association to turn to. MNA works on behalf of newspapers throughout the state, representing us at the Capitol, operating a press release service, providing training opportunities and offering legal advice. And MNA distributes an interesting newsletter filled with information tailored just for news junkies.
This week we received a packet of information from MNA reminding us that October 6-12, 2013 is National Newspaper Week, a celebration that has taken place in the United States for 73 years.
Looking at the calendar, I realized that the 14th anniversary of my tenure as a community newspaper editor falls in the middle of this week. I joined forces with Publishers Hal and Deidre Kettunen in October 1999. That seems so appropriate, but I don’t recall knowing that it was National Newspaper Week when I came on board. But then, there was a lot I didn’t know about the newspaper business.
There still is a lot to learn, which is why I am so glad that we have MNA to turn to when we have questions or concerns. Or when we just want to connect with other folks in the newspaper industry. It’s good to know that we are not alone in our daily struggles to produce a community newspaper. The MNA newsletter includes tips on covering tough news stories, on deciphering government statistics, on designing ads and page layout, on dealing with difficult customers and so much more.
Through our MNA membership we have access to an attorney we can contact for help when the county board or city council or school board wants to close a meeting that we think should be open to the public. Through MNA we can talk to our attorney when we receive a questionable letter to the editor. Fortunately our attorney has a sense of humor, because some weeks we have two or three letters that are questionable.
And through MNA, we are reminded of happenings in the larger newspaper community, such as National Newspaper Week. It was interesting to go through the information MNA sent out, courtesy of the National Newspaper Association, about this week. Included in the packet were several editorials written by editors and publishers around the country about the importance of newspapers to a community.
It was interesting to read the words of Robert M. Williams Jr., publisher of the Blackshear Times of Georgia, who currently serves as the president of the National Newspaper Association. Williams answers the frequent cry that newspapers are dead by saying that although very large newspapers have faced economic challenges, America’s community newspapers are as healthy as their communities. Williams wrote that the Internet is not the enemy of a good community newspaper. He feels that the enemy of a good newspaper is indifference.
I’m happy to note that our community is anything but indifferent. We have a vibrant readership that feels a great deal of ownership of our 122-year-old newspaper. I am always amazed at how opinionated our readers are about changes to the newspaper format—remember a dozen years or so ago when the News-Herald considered changing its look and getting rid of the Howard Sivertson bears that grace our pages? There was a huge outcry.
Our readers are interested in sharing their news with the community through the News- Herald. I am touched when I visit a workplace—at a local school, the hospital, or a bank—and I see a newspaper clipping proudly tacked to the wall. It is wonderful that our readers share their engagement, wedding and baby photos with us. It is hard to work with someone on the wording of an obituary or a memorial ad, but it is all these things—the good and the bad—that make us the community’s newspaper.
Recently in our quest to more wisely recycle the few extra bundles we receive each week, we offered “Free Newspapers” in our classified section, inviting people to stop by and pick up old papers to use as fire starter, packing materials, or fish wrappers. We were surprised to hear a cry of concern that the community’s newspaper was being treated in this manner. We’re still offering the free newspapers—they are several weeks old, so we don’t really think anyone would still want them—but we certainly appreciate that some of our readers think so highly of us, “their News-Herald.”
Finally, there is no doubt that there is no indifference when it comes to governmental affairs in our community. We know that News-Herald readers want to know what is happening in local government. They want to know what our highway and human services departments are spending money on. They want to know how many kids in our schools are failing to graduate. They want to know what the latest version of the septic ordinance means to them.
So, the News-Herald will celebrate National Newspaper Week for seven days—reading special essays, delving into the history of newspapers, and yes, we may have a little office party. But before, during, and after National Newspaper Week we will continue to work to protect the public’s right to know in every issue, every week.
We are not the enemy of
government—rather we are
the champions of citizens—of
our community. We know if
newspapers do not stand up for
citizens and protect the rights
of free speech and the right of
access to government, then no
one will.
Jim Zachary, editor of the Clayton News Daily, Atlanta, Georgia
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