On local News - Keeping people informed

From  press release last summer.

GNAT’s Executive Director, Tammie Reilly states, “the local focus that we need to be informed and engaged citizens. This is an immense project for our small organization, but now is the time to move forward to play a role in meeting our communities’ local information needs. “

I could not agree more. I have been telling my husband this for years. The loss of print journalism is a shame. With the internet and social media , the real important local info is not getting out there. 

Recently I e mailed my town clerk about a few issues and she couldn’t be bothered to answer with at least a sentence. Her reply just stated the select board member  I should contact and his e mail address. She couldn’t even forward it to him?  Basically it was ignored and I had to then send it to him. 

There is a big problem brewing. People just pass the virtual buck around and one cannot get an answer. Too much information, too much poor information, too much apathy.  One has to spend more time on line to go to all the local news sites. When you finally find the link you want many times it gives you the big 404 denial. 

The Bennington Banner, The Rutland Heralds, Brattleboro Reformer, The Burlington Free Press , The New York Times, most want to limit the amount of articles you can read per month or you have to pay. This disenfranchises the low income, budget minded, poor, the children. 

I miss newspapers. One cannot flip through a paper while waiting at the dentist. Employees do not bring them to work and share info at break time. Comics, crosswords.  Reading to the elderly.  With the loss of a real paper, the on line “ papers”  now have an opposite effect. Once connected by papers and coffee shops, conversations are now Tweets and Snaps and  has become being connected with a cell phone.  Now many people , all across the country are in the dark about their region and County goings on. 

 I believe this to be a very serious matter. Not only are people mis informed, they are NOT informed. We are in the dark,  (unless one can, is able, or wants to spend 6 hrs a day on line reading a screen) and this could have serious consequences to humanity.

 As all the small local papers  have either gone under, print half the pages they used to, they all have even a smaller staff now that has to try to get the issue to the printer and distribute it and keep the on line version updated. Both need ad revenue

My question then, is revenue from ad space non existent  ? Is there room  and income to re - grow a paper after it has all but ceased printing and succumbed to the internet?  Publications are in between trying to print and up load.  A lot of the on line papers have poor links, out dated articles, disorganized..just terrible layout in general. 

ok that’s my rant.

I am unemployed. Perhaps I should find my press hat.

Sincerely,

Diane Denby