Preachers and columnists are expected to say something.
And sometimes, they repeat their messages.
This is National Newspaper Week.
You may recognize parts of this “sermon.”
Flash back to 1958.
I considered myself a 10-year-old businessman, investing my money to make money.
When the 3 o’clock bell at Orange Street Elementary School rang, I jumped on my red Schwinn and pedaled as fast as I could to the back door of The Jesup Sentinel. For a nickel each, Brian Kirby would sell to me a stack of Bill Rhoden’s weekly newspaper. With my basket stuffed, I would race over to shift change of Sea Island Shirt Factory on Cherry Street.
When the ladies turned off their sewing machines, I turned my nickels into dimes before the ink dried on that week’s edition of local news.
Yes, sir.
I was smitten with being in business, the newspaper business.
But as life happens, I took detours. Over the next dozen years, I sampled a variety of jobs before coming right back to where I was on my Schwinn.
In 1971, thanks to Elliott Brack and Dr. Lanier Harrell (then owners of the Wayne County Press), I got a chance to return to what enamored me in 1958. And for 54 years, ink has been coursing through my veins. As long as my heart is ticking, I plan to keep my keyboard clicking.
If you are reading this, thank you.
In the early 1980s, Ted Turner made a prediction. I heard him say, “In 10 years newspapers will be dead.” He vowed cable news would be the assassin. In his futuristic rant, he didn’t envision that cable TV would be besieged by an onslaught of technology-driven options, too.
Nonetheless, Ted was right.
The newspapers that aren’t reinventing themselves in this surging digital revolution are being forced to unplug their presses. This newspaper vows to be a survivor.
Why?
I believe the community newspaper plays a crucial role in our democracy. And a healthy democracy must have a voice and an advocate, especially in rural America, where you and I live. And I am adamant. I will never live in a community without a newspaper.
Why?
A newspaper should be the community’s soul and conscience, just as it should be a mirror that reflects the good, the bad and the ugly. Regardless, people have a right to know.
I believe one of the key missions of a newspaper is to shine lights into dark corners. The Washington Post trumpets, “Democracy dies in the darkness.”
Amen.
Furthermore, the newspaper is the thread and the skill to stitch together stories that produce a unique “quilt.” And as that quilt wraps around the community, it gives us a sense of place, a smorgasbord of information, updates in the marketplace, and a forum to share ideas and opinions. Add to that, a newspaper should provide a spark to inspire us to do better.
Hello, 2025.
There is no denying that the internet and social media are major disruptive competitors to newspapers and multiple other businesses. Consider how Amazon and e-commerce have affected traditional retailers. Ted made some valid points. If newspapers don’t continually reinvent themselves, they will die.
But hold on.
Don’t rush to write this newspaper’s obituary.
There’s only one newspaper in the world that is 100 percent devoted to this community. You are reading it on newsprint or your electronic screen. Our commitment is to be relevant, compelling, credible, and the most complete package of local news and information available. And, of course, to be innovative.
It’s National Newspaper Week.
We thank you, our readers and advertisers, for being our partners.
Together, we step into the future.
dnesmith@cninewspapers.com
