Last week something unusual happened at the paper. Well, in truth, two things happened. First, our managing editor, Barbara Hardt, went on an “actual” vacation, with a beach and everything. Second, our small mountain newspaper was featured on KGNU’s morning show, “A Public Affair.”
If you’d like to take a listen, we’ve included a link to the show in our footnotes. But first, I want to share why our little mountain newspaper became the subject of a “news story.”
Without revealing too much, during the segment, host Jackie Sedley of “A Public Affair,” stated, “Last year, newspapers all over the country shut down at alarming rates, an average of almost two a week.”
To be clear, this is not something that started last year. In fact, newspapers have been shutting down at “alarming rates” now for the past two decades. But why? Many say the invention of the internet is responsible.
There is some truth to this. Who can argue the convenience of being able to access so much information at our fingertips? By comparison, most people don’t feel the need to pick up their local paper. However, I and a growing number of people believe otherwise. We have seen what happens to the smaller communities when they lose their local newspaper.
For example, some of you may have noticed a new historical column we feature from time to time. It’s all about the history of the Peak to Peak, as told and documented by The Mountain-Ear newspaper.
One of our favorite taglines that we have used for years in the paper, and on the website is, “News with altitude since 1977.” Why? We love this phrase for two reasons.
First, it clearly lets everyone know this is strictly “mountain news.” The other: it reminds people that we have been in publication for close to fifty years – 47, to be exact.
Now, let’s take 47 years and multiply it by one paper every week. Add in the various special sections and editions we publish, an expansive website, a podcast that has been in production for three years, and you have a lot of stories. Thousands and thousands of stories. All about our community and the people who live here.
When a community loses their local newspaper, those stories are no longer being written. Outside of what people put on their own social media pages, there is no real, cohesive documentation of our communities without a local paper covering what’s going on.
As we began to look back through our own archives, we found so much information about our mountain culture it was impossible to ignore the value of what is accomplished in our work: socially and culturally, documenting our lives benefits future generations. We tell the tales of their friends and families and where they came from.
Something else a community newspaper provides is what some might refer to as a “check and balance” for our local leaders. We report what is going on in our local governments, with our school boards and county commissioners.
This is important. Without knowledge, people cannot make informed decisions. Without information, people cannot act when something is going on that is not in the best interest of their community. A community newspaper works in the interest of the people. Hence, our constitutional right to “Freedom of Press.”
One of the questions Sedley asked Hardt during the interview was, “Do you see newspapers lasting, or seeing sort of a continuation or revival perhaps of either print or digital newspapers, locally in communities?” They followed up with, “I know a lot of people are talking about that as these newspapers across the country are shutting down quite rapidly.”
Hardt answered, “I see us surviving and we’re doing everything we can to make that a reality.”
In addition to maintaining a versatile platform to provide more than one source of income from our content, we are lucky to have an investor who believes in local newspapers as strongly as we always have to help support our business.
Last year, The Mountain-Ear was purchased by local resident, Christian Vanek, and as a result, Mountain Vale Media, LLC, was launched. This has allowed us resources without which we would struggle much in the same way other small newspapers across the country have.
Without adding in too many spoilers, because I encourage people to listen for themselves, the way we plan to continue is to keep writing stories, covering the news, and to make the most of the opportunities that have come our way.
We will print our paper as long as circumstances allow. We will keep working and writing stories and creating content all about the canyons and communities across the peaks and we will continue to do it honestly and ethically.
For the next few months, as we head into elections, we plan on covering as much government as possible. Be sure to look out for new information as it becomes available. Stay informed.
Truthfully, we would have nothing to write about without the amazing people who live up here doing all of these amazing things. For that, a heartfelt thank you goes out to each and every mountain resident.
Check out the show at https://kgnu.org/shows/a-public-affair/ and click on Monday, March 4 episode.
