| Show WHY A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER I 1 theodore roosevelt was once asked during a friendly discussion of relative value to name three things which he would con aider most essential to his hia welfare should he be marooned on an uninhabited island his answer was most significant when he said first I 1 would most desire my family second my hometown home town newspaper third my gim the fact that his hometown home town paper came second in importance to his family speaks volumes for that institution and it is not altogether strange that a person with roose belts of values should make this choice the community newspapers is essentially senti ally a serial history and bi og raphy combined of the people and events in the territory which it serves through its succeeding volumes the pro gross gress or retrogression is unconsciously ly portrayed it makes its ita subscribers problems its own problem a sympathetic understanding exists between publisher and subscriber which is entirely absent in urban publications this spirit of fraternalism extends to closer relationships lation ships between the advertiser in the hometown home town paper and those whom the advertiser serves his appeal is not so much one of better bargains and cut prices as it is friendship cemented by years of pleasant and constructive community association his hia advertisements ti are a message from one friend to another it is the function of the community newspaper to direct and to further the cultural educational and spiritual life of its ita community in addition to the diserina tion of news it holds as a sacred obligation the furtherance of all projects designed for public benefit and it opposes with equal determination that which is detrimental it is the clearinghouse clearing house for opinions expressed by expert and reader alike the community newspaper occupies a traditional place in the existence of its home town parallel in importance to the school and the church it is an integral part of the realization of pioneering effort to constructive living the mouthpiece mouth piece 0 fan enterprising and progressive element of national life the spirit of neighborliness is engendered by the fam clarity with which it treats its family of readers its flexible editorial policies permit of the same reportorial treatment of the news of twin calves born to bill jones cow as is given to news wide importance and the same fine editorial discrimination com the absence of news in its columns which directs unfavorable attention to a member of its circle by close adherence to a policy which is dictated by 11 a philosophy peculiar to rural society the community newspaper has come to be regarded as an indispensable part of the rural civic plan its subscribers bers enjoy a sense of tor ship a feeling which Is s shared by the average hometown home town editor it is the tie which binds the common interest of john brown who operates the corner store with that of jim white who maintains a fine herd of jerseys on his farm three miles south of town by its influence the community spirit of interdependence inter dependence is promoted intimate news is made available to those far removed from childhood associations and an d through its sympathetic knowledge of community affairs it has become a vital necessity to all community programs of progress your community newspaper needs you you need your community eunit newspaper W G mills hanover mich |
