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Newspapers matter now more than ever

National Newspaper Week started on Monday and concludes on Sunday, Oct. 7. This year's theme is “Now More Than Ever.” Papers across Canada are taking part in this campaign to raise awareness of and support for the newspaper industry.
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National Newspaper Week started on Monday and concludes on Sunday, Oct. 7.

This year's theme is “Now More Than Ever.” Papers across Canada are taking part in this campaign to raise awareness of and support for the newspaper industry. We're sending a message out to Canadian businesses, advertisers, the government and all Canadian citizens that newspapers still matter in our daily lives.

It’s a crucial time for newspapers as we try to cope with shrinking ad revenue,  job cuts, the many tentacles of social media and fake news. In some worst-case scenarios around the globe journalists have been killed or put in jail. Yes, these are desperate times.

So it’s apropos that this year’s theme is “Now More Than Ever.” Sober-minded, balanced and in-depth reporting is vital to democracy and our country’s well-being. We must carry on.

Here at the Gazette we believe in objective and fair reporting. As a community paper we have an obligation to provide our readers and all our citizens with a clear picture of our city and all its issues.

Below, we have asked a number of Gazette staffers to explain why newspapers are still essential.

Jeff Hansen, Sports Editor

The hometown newspaper is the town crier everybody can relate to.

Every edition is community-oriented while raising awareness of the issues affecting residents.

The topics of the day span a variety of interests with local connections, and the newspaper is the vehicle of public consumption for information.

The pulse of the community is reflected in wide-ranging areas of coverage spanning the political spectrum to the sports scene, with attention to detail and presentation for the reader to absorb.

The hometown newspaper is an updated database for current and former residents, young or old, to use as a reliable news outlet that maintains a tight relationship with the past, present and future for readers.

The heartbeat of a community is the hometown newspaper. Without it, there is no soul in the voiceless and uninformed populace linked together within the boundaries of where they live, work and play.

Brian Bachynski, Gazette Publisher

Since the dawn of the printing press, people have relied on their community newspaper to keep them informed. That, of course, has changed with the advent of social media and advances in technology.

Or has it?

Every day I encounter people whom I consider intelligent and well-read. I am surprised to learn through conversation that some of these people lack awareness about what’s going on in their own community. They’re on Facebook or Snapchat, they follow their Twitter feeds, and therefore they consider themselves informed. Therein lies the problem.

While these tech tools are powerful mediums, they are customized by the user. If you want lots of Donald Trump or Ariana Grande, it’s only a finger tap away. If you’re a sports nut or a stock market junkie, set your feeds accordingly.

Community newspapers provide objective reporting on what’s happening in the communities they serve. Knowing the decisions made at city hall, being made aware of the crime that occurs, knowing the needs of the Red Cross or the local food bank are all important; an informed citizenry makes for a better community. While Donald Trump’s tweets might be a source of amusement, the information found in your community newspaper is relevant and useful.

Kevin Ma, Reporter

History happens once. That’s why it’s important to write it down.

Newspapers are a slow medium, typically only coming out once a day or less. They don’t give you the by-the-second updates of the web or the on-the-scene emotional impact of radio or television.

But because they’re slow, the people behind them take the time to get it right – to think about what just happened and explain why it matters. TV and radio stories are seen or heard once and then forgotten save for a few shocking images or impressions – enough to inform your gut, but not your head. Web posts have an even shorter shelf life, and can send lies and half-truths screaming around the world at the speed of light.

If we want to know where we’re headed, we need an accurate record of where we’ve been. That’s why newspapers matter. Whether it be tomorrow morning or years from now, when you need to know what happened and why, the written word is your first, best guide.

Scott Hayes, Reporter

Why do newspapers still matter? Actually, they matter more than ever. Did the world get simpler since you were a kid? Not a chance. Things continue to get more complex by the day, and there’s only one way to learn – to really learn – about what’s happening in your city and what it all means.

I challenge you to state how you have never been affected by something that was reported in the newspaper. Go ahead. Stand up and say how you have never cared about what happens at city council. Crime can continue without your knowledge and you will sleep just fine at night. The state of the local economy is not your concern. That time that someone got viciously attacked by a stray dog two blocks away? It was nobody you knew so why should it bother you?

And hey, you’ve never submitted a letter to the editor or classified ad for a garage sale, or checked out the local sports scores, or looked up a house that you thought you’d want to move to anyway.

It’s probably true that you could do all of this on the internet and it would only take a few hours online every day to stay on top of the important things. Now what do you pay for home internet services? $70 a month? How does that compare to the Gazette delivered free to your home twice a week?

Now ask the original question again if you can. Made you think, didn’t it? That's what newspapers do.

Anna Borowiecki, Reporter

Now more than ever, the newspaper industry is on a roller-coaster ride. In the past two decades, it’s gone through a revolution kick-started by new technology – computers, smartphones and tablets.


Once print was the main way people obtained news. Now it’s fading into the background eclipsed by tech-based mediums.


While older readers depend on print and television for most of their news, Gen X and millennials are tapping into online, social media and television.


Readers have a vast array of choices when searching for information. Unfortunately, in the “fake news” era, is online data trustworthy or worth reading?


A curated web presence is the answer. As newspapers shift to a greater online model, they are hiring more IT talent while attempting to deliver information that is accurate, trustworthy and high quality.


Despite the significant drop in financial revenues newspapers have endured in the last decade, they are still relevant. 


For several hundred years newspapers played major roles delivering news. To this day, they inform, entertain and educate readers. They present a wide range of ideas and provoke discussion.


These sheaves of newsprint dropped in our mailboxes allow individuals to express their political and social views. In essence, they allow Canadians to reflect their different identities. 


Most importantly, they bring people together and reinforce the idea that the freedoms Canadians enjoy are both a gift and responsibility not to be taken lightly. Essentially, newspapers are repositories of our history as it happens. 


Today every newspaper office in the country struggles financially. But struggle is part of survival. By working with fresh content, vibrant easy-to-read design, smart strategies and a solid brand name, companies can determine the course of their industry. 


It's your turn now

Having read these observations we hope you have a somewhat clearer picture of  why newspapers are still important. But the conversation doesn't end here; we want to know what you think. Ask yourself: Why are newspapers still important in today's world?

Other conversational questions will follow as National Newspaper Week progresses.

So go ahead – start the conversation. We welcome your comments.

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