By Guy Chapman – Navarro County Gazette
This week (Oct. 3 through Oct. 9) marks the 81st annual National Newspaper Week, a recognition of the service of newspapers and their employees across North America. This year’s theme is “Community Forum.”
I’ve said in past writings the world of newspapers is changing. While physical news print has been shrinking the last few years, the role of a community news source has never changed, and in the world of a 24-hour news cycle, small town news is perhaps more important than ever.
Local news ensures readers know what it happening in the community. It can inform, motivate, and inspire. It calls to action, connects us, and enriches our perspectives.
I’ve grown rather fond of the term “journalist” in the last few years. Ultimately, that’s what the role of a good writer is: It tells the individual stories of the people around us. It’s a defining history of our community, providing a snapshot of our goals and mindsets. It’s proved invaluable for research, and in many ways it’s an art form in maintaining the correct tone.
It takes care in knowing when to report the straight facts when they happen, taking less a role of participant, and becoming more of a recording observer passing along information.
Taking with this year’s “Community Forum” theme, listening to our readership has always been important to us. The Navarro County Gazette continually looks to serve the community’s greater needs throughout our county. We continue to receive important updates from various city, county, and service leaders, and grow with tips and feedback from our readers.
The Gazette has been so incredibly grateful to our readers in allowing us to keep growing in our digital space, and guiding us to find stories that make the most impact. Thanks for being part of the conversation.
While we’re primarily digital, we enjoyed our last opportunity to stretch our legs in the physical space. I appreciate the ease of fast creation of a laptop and our publishing software, but as someone who has lived in both the digital and analogue world, there’s a comfort in browsing through actual pages. We hope to do more specialty publications.
Regardless, thank you for being part of our family in the best and worst of times. At our most serious, or in having a little fun with us. We’ve made it a year. It’s been a remarkable journey.
I can’t wait to share our next year’s worth of stories with you.
– Guy Chapman – Editor-In-Chief
Please be sure to support those that support us here at the NCG and check out our advertisers:
Goin’ Postal | CANA Girl Speaks Podcast | Warehouse Living Arts Center | Salvation Army | Moe Law Offices PLLC | Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Corsicana
A big THANK YOU to our supporters: Hull Creative Arts Foundation, The Lampiers
If you too would like to help financially support the Navarro County Gazette please email us at news@navarrocountygazette.com