Editorial

Changes in the Pages

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

October is our industries month to celebrate your local community newspaper. The theme for this year's celebration for the National Newspaper Week is, “Journalism Matters Now More Than Ever!”

Real newspapers reporting real news have never been more important or more valuable to readers and communities.

This week, newspapers across the nation recognize National Newspaper Week. Many will point to the importance of accurate reporting, watchdog journalism, strong editorials, comprehensive public notices and a free, open public forum that can be easily accessed by readers in more ways than ever before.

In print, on digital sites, via laptop, desktop and mobile devices, through SMS or social media, newspapers across the nation continue to be the leading source of reliable information in all the communities they serve. More importantly for weekly newspapers is the need to promote and report is your local events.

Many of you will begin to notice some changes to the pages.

As of October 1, this newspaper has changed management and composition offices, we are now in with the Sikeston Standard-Democrat. I see this to be a good step in the future for the community newspaper.

Number one, Portageville will continue to have a newspaper. With upcoming changes, your community newspapers will see much improvement.

One of the first things you may have noticed in the October 4 issue is the obituaries. We have gone back to the way it used to be.

Secondly, Death Notices are free, and your basic obituary is also free. There will be a charge when more than the immediate family members or history is provided.

Thirdly, the sports pages will be more enhanced. We will include more county-wide coverage, but for now, there will be more New Madrid County Central sports as well as Portageville sports.

The one drawback to the whole thing is our news advertising deadline which affects the local businesses. The new advertising deadline is now on Fridays at 12 noon. The news deadline is Fridays at 5 PM for the upcoming week.

That said, I cannot make many allowances now. If your ad copy in not provided to me before 12 Noon Friday. Sorry, but it will have to wait another week. We are looking at ways into getting your ad on the website and possibly Facebook.

In the United States newspapers have a long and important legacy of holding the powerful accountable, defending the First Amendment and advocating for government transparency.

Democracy is protected when the newspaper provides checks and balances as the Fourth Estate of government from city hall to the courthouse to the statehouse to the White House.

Newspapers are committed to the neighborhoods, cities, counties, states and coverage areas they serve.

What better way to make these positive changes than in the month of October's National Newspaper Week. “Journalism Matters Now More Than Ever!”

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