Imagine not having a source for local news.
If the community becomes a news desert, how would you learn about the latest action by the city council? Was someone hurt in that accident? Did you know the district is considering closing a school?
Community journalism connects the community. It builds relationships. It informs. It sets the agenda for public debate. It can encourage economic growth.
Community journalism is vital for making informed decisions — where we live, work, go to school, who to vote for and more. It is also how we learn about what our local government is doing and planning, issues facing school districts and community causes and needs.
Community journalists serve as watchdogs, holding leaders accountable and keeping residents informed about what's happening in their communities. It's a mission that newspapers have performed for the last two centuries.
Without regular, high-quality news coverage, studies show that communities see increased government costs. Cities that lose their news organizations suffer a drop in civic engagement.
In addition to serving as a watchdog, community journalists often publish stories that would go untold unless pursued by reporters — stories about compelling issues such as crime, stories that provide information about how tax dollars are being spent or stories about everyday people who persevere in their community.
If not for local journalists, who would be writing these stories?
It's important to show support for journalism. Read the newspaper, pay for a subscription, purchase classified ads and
support the advertisers who recognize the newspaper, it’s website and social media tools as the best source for generating revenue.
Community journalism matters. News is not free, but it's worth every penny.