Before we tell you why newspapers matter, we’ll acknowledge that not everyone is going to believe us. It’s a tough go for many newspapers these days and for journalists, whose approval ratings as a profession sometimes rival those of lawyers and politicians.
Yet never has the work of journalists and newspapers been more important.
Because, while potential sources of information have exponentially increased, the sources of trusted factual and relevant information have not. And never is that more true than at a local paper.
In an era of “alternative facts” and a 24-hour media cycle, where opinions and facts are often conflated, newspapers – and the journalists who work for them – continue to do the heavy lifting.
It’s unlikely that a Facebook blogger has sat through endless council meetings, read those 300-page reports or filed Freedom of Information requests in an attempt to find out which tower will be built in your neighbourhood, where your taxes are going or why you’re still stuck in traffic. But those things go on every day in newsrooms, big and small, including here on the North Shore.
A newspaper can be many things: watchdog, scold, critic, cheerleader and dispassionate observer. On many important local issues, we are the only source of news. Underlying it all is the belief that truth still matters. We can only do that, however, with the support of the public.
This week, we mark National Newspaper Week, to celebrate the collective strength of our industry. We ask you to join us in acknowledging it too. Because newspapers matter.
Pledge your support for our local news media at newspapersmatter.ca.
What are your thoughts? Send us a letter via email by clicking here or post a comment below.
