I hope you have found the beginning of the new year as productive as I have.
As is the case at Grayson County’s oldest media company, we here at the News-Record are constantly looking for ways to serve you better.
We have made a small list of New Year’s resolutions concerning content changes that we plan to make in the new year.
One of these changes is evident by the page you are reading this column on right now.
Community newspapers have a long history of vibrant opinion pages.
A vibrant opinion page gives folks a platform in their community to make their voices heard.
A vibrant opinion page welcomes letters to the editor.
And a vibrant opinion page welcomes differing views.
A vibrant opinion page is something we have not had here at the News-Record in some time.
It is something that I’m passionate about and something we are bringing back to you in the new year.
Garrison Keillor is a legendary American humorist, author and former NPR personality.
He touched on the state of newspapers in a recent edition of his weekly podcast:
“I accept change, even some changes, that cause me pain. I grew up reading newspapers, and now they’re dying by the hundreds. And the reason is simple. Most of them tend to be solemn, pretentious, humorless and so people prefer social media. The comments in social media can be wild and feisty and sarcastic. I admire George F. Will’s columns, and I also enjoy the hundreds of lefties throwing spitballs at him. You don’t find much irreverence in newspapers anymore. They’re rather sedate, like nursing homes.”
In my day job at the university, I argue against the doom and gloom narrative of community newspapers all the time.
There are community newspapers bucking the trend and thriving, but Keillor does have a point.
Eight years ago, I wrote a graduate school thesis— a content analysis of opinion pages at Texas community newspapers.
I found most smaller circulation, independently owned newspapers lack opinion pages.
The higher circulation papers owned by chain groups were more apt to have opinion pages.
Moreover, the community newspapers that did have opinion pages aired very few local opinions.
They were mostly canned content and wire columns from syndication services.
They weren’t local voices on local issues.
Why have community newspapers abandoned opinion pages?
The reasons could vary.
Largely, I think it’s because they are a lot of work.
They require some coordination, and staffs are smaller than they have ever been.
But our community and our readers need somewhere besides social media to air their views.
They need somewhere that is sane, well-edited and based in fact.
So that’s what we’re doing here.
In the weeks to come, you won’t find nationally syndicated columnists on this page.
You won’t find partisan hacks preaching about Washington problems.
You will find local opinions written by local people who you may just run into in the grocery store.
The opinion page is for everyone, so here’s your assignment:
Our letters to the editor policy is below.
Please take us up on it.
If you have a passion for writing and feel like you have something to contribute regularly, please reach out.
My e-mail is [email protected] and our office phone number is 903-564-3565.
How can you lend your voice to civil discourse in our community?
I hope to find out soon.
Austin Lewter is the owner and publisher of the Whitesboro News-Record. He can be reached at [email protected].