Newspapers are the greatest source for news

An interesting cartoon came across my desk this week that not only gave me a chuckle, but it really hit it on the head in describing the plight of America’s newspapers, including your very own Dodge County Independent (DCI).  It’s a battle newspaper journalists face every day. 
Silly in the sense that it seems so true that many people, especially the younger folks, are plugged in to reality and what’s happening around them through only a little electronic device that fits snugly in the palm of their hand. I often wonder how we as a society have gravitated to this being exclusively the greatest way of communicating. 
And, of course, sad when I think what it has done to the very essence of why we’re in existence at the DCI.  
In the digital age of iPads, iPhones, laptops and other electronic devices, more and more people are relying on those gadgets to get their news. As the cartoon depicts, two people are having a hard time deciphering the difference between fake and real news based on what’s showing up on the trendy looking devices in their hands.  And all the while a news stand is next to them screaming out the answer to their problem: “Newspapers.” 
While newspapers may not be as sexy and appealing as they once were, I would still argue that newspapers should be the media folks rely on to get their news. The history of American newspapers begins in the early 18th century with the publication of the first colonial newspapers. The Independent has been around since 1867. 
Reading the local paper is a great way to know your community and, in the case of the Independent, the entire county. Where else can you find a neatly put together package of hometown community news featuring your friends, neighbors and maybe even some family members?
Chances are you’ve probably heard the mantra in recent years that “newspapers are dying.” I’ve written about this before, but let’s just say it boils my blood to hear this phrase being thrown around so loosely. For the record, newspapers are changing, but they are not dying. I’d challenge you to find something in this society that has not changed in recent years.
The Independent dead? Hardly. We have expanded and grown over the past year in ways that nobody thought we could ever accomplish. We are a source of news throughout Dodge County and the surrounding area that many people are finding they can’t go without. 
Newspapers provide news that no other media source will be able to deliver. Not radio, television, magazine or even Facebook. I actually hesitate to include Facebook in the list because I do not consider it a reliable source of any information. Perhaps gossip, but definitely not news unless it’s coming from a media source as many media outlets pump news via Facebook.
As publisher of this newspaper, I am constantly striving to put out complete and accurate information. As far as I’m concerned, there is no place for “fake news.” We have high standards for the type of news we put out each week, and sometimes more often through our website and other social media. Accuracy is always first and foremost in my mind.  
It’s my hope that younger people, especially those in their 20s and 30s, will begin to read newspapers if they’re not already. Our younger generation needs to understand that we put out information in digital formats, but it’s not the complete newspaper (unless you subscribe to our e-edition, which is an option for everyone). There are many features that you won’t be able to see unless you subscribe to the printed newspaper or e-edition.
Isn’t it time you go in hot pursuit of picking up a printed newspaper instead of relying on digital gadgets for that news?