Community journalism serves a purpose

“Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”—Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and principal author of the Declaration of Independence

It has been a sad week for journalists in Kentucky. 

McClatchy Media announced it was laying off more than 90 journalists at its publications around the country, including 13 journalists at the Lexington Herald-Leader. 

Following that announcement, long-time Herald-Leader reporter Alex Acquisto, who was among those laid off, said this: 

“Journalism at its best holds power to account, sheds light on corruption, and equips us with necessary information to make the most informed decisions in our communities.”

We want to add to that, because there is a form of journalism that, at its best, both performs the functions that Acquisto so eloquently described and also serves as a record of, mirror to, and grounding force to the communities in which it operates. 

That is community journalism. 

That’s the weekly or semi-weekly newspaper (or, now, digital publication) where you read about what happened at the council meeting, and also see a photo of your grandchild at his football game. Or you see a letter to the editor your neighbor wrote about a new planned development.

It’s where you see who bought your neighboring property, and how much they paid for it. 

It serves as a town hall, providing a space for ideas and debate without allowing for anonymity or for falsities without challenge. 

Journalism holds a special place in our society. 

It has often been called the “Fourth Estate,” a term developed in nineteenth century Britain due to journalists’ growing political influence. 

Journalists are the sole professionals specifically protected in the U.S. Constitution. 

That’s because, as Jefferson stated more than 200 years ago, and as Acquisto reiterated after McClatchy’s devastating announcement, society needs journalists. 

Though it serves such a vital role, the press has always been tasked with figuring out how to fund itself. 

For years, the relatively small amount taken in through newspaper subscription fees has been augmented by selling advertising in outlets’ pages.  Television outlets have sold advertising during their broadcasts. As the Internet grew, so did digital ads on media outlets’ websites. But as the Internet has continued to grow, and social media has exploded, those advertising dollars have shrunk. 

Newspapers around the country have been bought up by corporations and have slashed budgets and staff. As a result, newspapers have become thinner, news has gone uncovered, and communities have suffered a great loss. 

Journalism is hardly the only field that has had to adapt to a changing world, but its continued survival is among the most crucial. We firmly believe that statement isn’t hyperbole. 

Some outlets have found their way amid this changing landscape. 

Public radio outlets have long functioned as non-profits and have found increased public support in the face of the loss of federal funding. 

Statewide, the non-profit outlet The Kentucky Lantern does amazing work covering statewide news. 

Many online outlets have been created and are funded as non-profits, or with a mix of subscriber fees and advertiser dollars, or as hybrids. 

And recently, the Woodford Sun announced it intends to convert to a non-profit. 

But most legacy outlets remain mostly advertiser-funded. 

As legacy media struggles with how to hang on, we ask that you continue to support whichever outlet you choose for your news in whatever way you are able. Spend your advertising dollars with that outlet. Subscribe and read its content as much as possible and interact with its journalists. 

The functions a vibrant press provides are all functions that social media and artificial intelligence absolutely cannot usurp. 

A healthy press demands accountability but also delivers humanity in its coverage. 

As we turn more and more to social media and AI, we all must ask ourselves what we are willing to give up. 

Here is the full Jefferson statement from which the quote at the beginning of this piece was taken. It was a communication from Jefferson while he was in Paris to his Congressional delegate Edward Carrington. It also serves as a reminder that public participation in government is vital to ensuring the continuation of democracy.

“The people are the only censors of their governors: and even their errors will tend to keep these to the true principles of their institution. To punish these errors too severely would be to suppress the only safeguard of the public liberty. The way to prevent these irregular interpositions of the people is to give them full information of their affairs thro’ the channel of the public papers, & to contrive that those papers should penetrate the whole mass of the people. The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers & be capable of reading them.”

Editor's Note: This story has been updated.

Editor’s note: Oct. 4 through Oct. 10 is National Newspaper Week. The Citizen plans to run an opinion piece each week up to and including that week, on the role of newspapers and the press in our society.