It’s Newspaper Week—time to remember why we’re here

Have you noticed a few longer stories the past few weeks about issues between our county and city law enforcement agencies?
How about how the Longhorn sports teams are doing?
Where else would you learn about the services Chase County Community Hospital offers?
What about the crop yields this area’s farmers are realizing?
And, who else covered last weekend’s regional World Livestock Auctioneer Championship right here in Imperial?
Well, if it wasn’t for your hometown newspaper, you wouldn’t know much about those topics.
It’s National Newspaper Week. It’s a time for all of us to remember what an integral part of the community your newspaper fills.
This year’s theme is “Real Newspapers, Real News,” borrowing a term from the president who continues to battle with “the media.” He’s been correct many times when he’s referred to the “fake news” that permeates some of the media today.
“Fake news” might be somewhat of a harsh term as he talks about the national media. Maybe, in some cases, it should be called irresponsible instead.
Have you heard anyone say, “I know it’s real because I saw it on the internet?”
Unfortunately many people today are getting their news solely from questionable sources found on Facebook or via Twitter—outlets that don’t have to have their facts right and don’t have to quote sources. Heck, you can make up a whole person, create your own Facebook page and make unsubstantiated charges with nothing to back up the information.
It’s difficult to sue those outlets for libel, though; meanwhile newspapers must be certain of their facts because if they knowingly publish damaging material, they can end up in court.
Newspapers are staffed with real people—people you know—reporters and editors who gather the news, conduct the interviews, cover local meetings no other news outlets do and actually attend the events in the community where they live.
That’s something that will always be important for community newspapers. We are part of this community, we live here and have a goal to report what’s happening here—good and bad.
Being involved in the day-to-day coverage and reporting of news here, I continue to be amazed at how much is happening in this community.
And, it’s all in the pages of this newspaper. Who else is covering this community? Who else will be here to tell your stories?