Oct. 7-13 is National Newspaper Week and this year’s theme is “Newspapers – the Cornerstone of your Community.”
It is absolutely true that community newspapers are the cornerstones of the communities they serve.
Folks who work at community newspapers take pride in the service they provide, and happily support so many community events through promotions and volunteer manpower.
National Newspaper Week is a time to celebrate the role of the 100 Mile House Free Press and other like-minded community newspapers.
Equally important, it’s also an opportunity clear away rumours that newspapers are on their way out.
Your Free Press started on April 17, 1960 and it has been going strong ever since. It will continue to be your favourite source of community news information from many years to come.
There are a lot of good reasons community newspapers have been able to withstand the glory years of radio, then television and the recent onslaught of the social media.
Community newspapers are the authoritative source of news around the province and, indeed, across the country.
The Free Press and other community newspapers give readers an in-depth look at important stories affecting their communities, and often these stories explain issues that are similar to, if not exactly the same as, those being experienced elsewhere in the province.
Community newspapers do two simple, but very important, things for the residents of their communities.
They chronicle the history of the community in a fair and accurate manner, so people can go back in time to find historical information.
Community newspapers also supply the “fridge art” for the community – the photos we cut out of the Free Press and put on the refrigerator door for a while. Then we place them in a special box that will play an integral role in a graduation or wedding album years down the road.
Simply stated, community newspapers print all of the important news of their residents, including the births, deaths, crime, good news, as well as trials and tribulations.
Theses stories are neither statistical nor impersonal, as one might find in big media reports; no, these are stories about our friends and neighbours.
Community newspapers also supply a soapbox for people to share their opinions, and they offer promotional information about upcoming events, whether it’s through advertising, community and entertainment calendars and stories.
If there is a great sale, a community story or piece of information that readers should know about, they will find it their community newspapers.
Furthermore, we are moving forward by supplying daily information on our website, so those who are too busy to sit down with a newspaper and read about the goings-on in 100 Mile House and the surrounding area, can go to their computers and read the news as it develops.
If you have any thoughts, suggestions or story ideas, contact editor Ken Alexander at newsroom@100milefreepress.net, or call 250-395-2219 Wednesday through Friday.
