The saying goes, "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone." When you have had something all your life, you tend take it (or them) for granted. Things like freedom, liberties, democracy, and free press, all of which are currently under domestic threat by America's first authoritarian want-to-be. One of the methods being used is to destroy the trust we have in these institutions and each other. As citizens, it is our responsibility to recognize it, acknowledge it, and then respond by doing what you can to preserve and protect them.
That being said, I would like to focus on free press,... more precisely, LOCAL free press such as the publication you are reading this in, The Northside Sun. And as you should know, independent local newspapers are under stress and going out of business because of Big Tech like Google. These local newspapers do the leg work to write in depth stories affecting their local communities and Google comes along and gobbles them up without any compensation whatsoever to that local publication.
This is wrong, it weakens our community, and I hope and pray Mr. Emmerich wins his lawsuit against Big Tech. Local newspapers are the very heartbeat of America and it needs to stay that way! We know Mr. Emmerich because he is one of us. He knows us and does what he does because he cares and wants us to be informed on matters that affect us, whether you agree with him or not.
Things like the shenanigans between our legislature and Amazon. We know we can TRUST him. You cannot trust everything you see on the Internet. THAT is the difference! He puts his reputation and credibility on the line with every new edition. Google, on the other hand, has no responsibility to the reader. And as we all know by now, what you read there, may or may not be trustworthy.
So, all this brings me back to the point I'm trying to make. LOCAL newspapers are essential because they are trustworthy and very relevant to our communities. But they need our help and support, especially now. If you agree, I would like to challenge you to do your part in strengthening this publication. If, we, the subscribers, ALL do a small something, it could make a huge difference in keeping our local paper strong and vital.
I have personally committed to donating $10 each month to The Northside Sun. I prefer writing a personal check because it won't cost the paper a card transaction fee.
I would like to challenge you to do your part in strengthening this publication. If, we, the subscribers, ALL do a small something, it could make a huge difference in keeping our local paper strong and community truly connected and informed.
Camille Wright lives in Brandon.
