By John S. Frum | October 16, 2018
As publisher of the Milton Observer, I would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to Mr. Larry Brown.
Mr. Brown highlighted the vital role of local news sources. He read excerpts from a Death of Local News analysis article that was republished in The Week of September 3. He read portions of that paragraph that praised the role of local news in serving as a government watchdog:
Do we still need local news? Only if things like schools, taxes, infrastructure, and government accountability matter to you. Where fewer reporters cover local business and government, … taxes can rise, public officials can indulge their worst impulses. When a local newspaper shutters, that same community experiences increased government waste and inefficiency, … The loss of local reporting also depresses most citizens’ engagement in state and local politics, …
He added that this loss of reporting and lack of engagement can produce voters that are at the fringe rather than representing common interests. He recommended Foster’s Daily Democrat as an example of a valuable local news source.
Perhaps Mr. Brown has not noticed the Milton Observer, which has served also in the role of Milton watchdog so effectively over this last year.
Be that as it may, thanks again for your support of local news sources.
References:
Town of Milton. (2018, October 15). BOS Meeting, October 15, 2018, Retrieved from youtu.be/1C1AS4syCJU?t=7972
The Week. (2018, September 3). Death of Local News. Retrieved from theweek.com/articles/793309/death-local-news
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