It’s national newspaper week!
To me, this is an awesome time of the year to celebrate. Why, you might ask? Because not only do I make a living as a journalist, but I think newspapers are still, and will always be, incredibly relevant to society as a way of distributing news about local issues that matter to the community.
I personally read newspapers all the time. Why would I have chosen to work in this industry if I wasn’t a fan? There’s something tangible about holding a newspaper in your hands and reading it while having your morning coffee.
In fact, I’ve read newspapers since I was 13, and The North Island Gazette was always my first choice when I was a youth growing up in Port Hardy. I’m also the first local editor in the paper’s entire 54 year history, which means a lot to me.
Newspapers matter, people. Without us, you wouldn’t have people on the ground taking photos at the scene, interviewing people in person, and getting to the heart of the matter at each and every meeting. Bloggers from down island can call around and ask questions, but they can’t go to the scene and report live. We can. And we do, every single day when something breaks.
The North Island Gazette is where the stories officially start, because we have staff that actually live here and know the community that we are writing about.
You don’t have to take my word for it, here’s some brief thoughts on the importance of newspapers from other people in our community:
Port Hardy Mayor Hank Bood - “Newspapers are the primary conduits of the community. The Gazette has been around for a long time, and it’s really important to disseminate local news and show all sides of the story.”
Adam Ireton, Hardy Bay Drug Store owner/ Port Hardy Chamber of Commerce’s business of the year 2018 award winner - “Newspapers are important as they are something every small town should have, it’s a good source of information for visitors and residents alike.”
Dale Dorward, Macandales owner/Rotary Club of Port Hardy Treasurer - “I think that newspapers are very important for our community — they give you a really good insight into what’s going on locally, because not everybody uses social media, and I think they have a very important role to play, especially in our community.”
I’m proud to be a journalist that writes for a physical newspaper. I’m proud to work in this industry for Black Press. And I’m proud of what The North Island Gazette brings to the residents of the North Island every week without fail.
With that said, let’s send a message—to businesses, to government, to journalists across Canada—that #NewspapersMatter #NowMoreThanEver.
