National Newspaper Week; Real Newspapers … Real News
For 77 years, the first week in October celebrates National Newspaper Week — and the theme this year couldn’t be more fitting: Real Newspapers…Real News!
Newspapers — like the very one you are holding that is part of Feather Publishing Company’s family of six weekly community newspapers covering Lassen and Plumas counties — have a rich tradition of being a vital part of your way of life by giving you real news generated by real journalists — now both in print and online.
Our newspapers, of course, are hyper local. What matters most to you, matters most to us. By design, we leave the state, national and world news to all the other sources people now have at their disposal.
Unfortunately, with the daily onslaught of news and information it seems more and more people are having trouble distinguishing the difference between real news and fake news — often fueled by the scope of conversations on Facebook and other social media, which one could easily argue are becoming more anti-social. And no amount of tweets will protect the public’s right to know or effectively watchdog our government.
It also seems a growing number of people, especially younger ones, believe news should be free and should magically appear on their smart phones. However, real news requires keeping journalism real. It requires fact-checking, research, practice, trust-building and a devotion to truth, honesty and democratic decision making.
In Plumas and Lassen counties, when it comes to getting an accurate and complete account of what happened at the local school board meeting, how the city council or your board of supervisors voted or enlightened by the many pictures and stories covering floods, fires, vehicle accidents, proms, homecoming royalty, local sporting events and the myriad daily happenings of your community, we believe this newspaper and it’s affiliated websites continue to be your most complete, reliable and trusted source for that information.
Newspapers also serve as the repositories of the community’s history. A real newspaper chronicles life’s joys and sorrows, its successes and failures. It cares, worries, alerts, alarms, grieves, praises, recognizes and exposes. It’s there for everyone — rich and poor alike, businessmen and women, the little guy who got a raw deal or the one who accomplished something no one believed possible.
We know you enjoy reading us, and we know you believe in us. You continue to submit letters to the editor and send in press releases. You continue to read our newspaper and place ads on its pages — which, incidentally, provide us with the revenue we need to make our newsgathering efforts and this newspaper and websites possible.
So, on behalf of the 80 exceptionally dedicated and remarkably talented men and women who work relentlessly for you day-in and day-out here at the Lassen County Times and Feather Publishing to keep it real, thank you!
