In an era when consumers of mass media are increasingly distrustful of news as it’s reported, local journalism is more important now than ever.
A Sept. 26 Gallup Poll revealed that less than half of all Americans trust mass media and the news it reports. According to that survey, 41 percent of those polled have a “great deal,” or “fair amount,” of trust in newspapers.
While that figure is above the all-time low of 32 percent registered three years ago in the wake of the 2016 presidential election, it is still well below the all-time high-water mark in the poll, which registered at 72 percent in 1976.
An influx of news gathering sites; social media; actual bad actors spreading untruths online — all of these are contributing factors to a plummeting level of trust in mainstream media and national news outlets.
Whatever the reason or reasons, the only way to help combat growing mistrust in the media is through honest, sound and thorough reporting.
And when readers remain so skeptical of media and the information they disseminate, the role of local, hometown newspapers becomes ever-more critical.
Supporting a local newspaper is the equivalent of shopping or dining local.
As national news gets more divisive by the day, and the facts perpetuated by big-city newsmakers are muddier and muddier all the time, this local newspaper has doubled down on coverage of Bellefontaine, and all the local municipalities within Logan County.
Since 1891, the Examiner has provided extensive coverage of the city of Bellefontaine and all of Logan County, and that continues to be the mission of this newsroom to this day.
As National Newspaper Week winds down Saturday, the Examiner staff emphasizes its commitment to local news and honest reporting. The only agenda of this newspaper is to inform readers of the news that matters most to them — city and county government, area schools, law enforcement and growth in industry.
The Examiner remains the best, most complete source for news in Logan County, and it’s not close. We provide depth and context to the news of the day, offering more than just click-bait headlines, and instead helping to provide the “Why?” to local happenings.
Our staff also lives, worships and raises families in this community. We, too, want the best for Bellefontaine and Logan County.
Our reporters are readily available to meet and interact with readers, and relish the opportunity to facilitate an informed citizenry.
In an Internet-centric age, the medium has changed some, sure. This only helps us break news faster, and the Examiner is routinely the first to report traffic crashes that close major roadways; or consequential action taken by local governing bodies.
There’s this really great scene from season eight, episode two of “The Office” in which Dunder Mifflin CEO Robert California, in an effort to inspire the staff to double its sales, offers a riveting speech in which he describes that the, “era of personal service” is back.
A personal experience is what modern consumers crave, the fictional character California surmises.
Local newspapers afford readers that kind of personal experience.
The Examiner has informed for 127 years, and we look forward to doing so for another 127 years to come.