PEA RIDGE — As technology improves and flourishes, all media struggles with the change.
Newspapers are now “online” and management debates whether to have a pay wall.
Some newspapers have closed their doors. Others have merged or downsized.
The Times Picayune, established in 1837, has been a daily newspaper for more than a century. On May 24, it was announced that the print edition would cut back to three days a week.
Are newspapers dying?
Over the past several years, I’ve heard various editors make several different statements.
“When the radio came out, they said it would be the death of the newspaper.
It wasn’t.”
“When television came out, they said it would be the death of the newspaper.
It wasn’t.”
And the prognostication: “When the Internet came out, they said it would be the death of the newspaper.
It won’t be.”
I don’t profess to be a prophet. I’m not any good at making predictions. But, it appears that the large, metro dailies are the newspapers that are struggling financially.
The small weeklies that focus on local news are generally doing well. In fact, just recently, editors and publishers from elsewhere in the state came to northwest Arkansas to see what the Northwest Arkansas weekly newspapers are doing.
In The Times of Northeast Benton County (more commonly called the Pea Ridge Times), we publish local news. We leave state and national news to the larger newspapers and focus on what is happening right here in northeast Benton County, primarily Pea Ridge, Garfield and Gateway.
Our readers are wonderful contributors and regularly send news tips, photographs and articles.
Here, children’s photographs are published showing the students of the month, the young - and not so young - athletes.
The honor roll is published. Obituaries are still published free of charge, as are anniversaries and wedding announcements.
As best we can, we attend every government meeting - City Council, Planning Commission, School Board - because we believe weare the eyes and ears of our readers and truly wish to keep them informed on how their tax dollars are being spent.
Our readers call asking us to attend their elderly mother’s birthday party or to take a five-generation photograph at a family reunion.
We go to club meetings, drive the city’s streets looking for photographs or news.
We stay in touch with our emergency personnel - fire, ambulance, police, deputies and state troopers - trying to inform the public about the incidents they work.
This week, the local Cub Scout’s Pinewood Derby is featured on page 1B in a photograph page. We spent several hours on a Saturday watching the event, photographing the boys and their cars.
One of Pea Ridge High School seniors signed a letter of intent to play baseball at a Missouri college. His photograph is on page 2B.
America is made up of small towns. Mayors, police and fire chiefs of small towns, postmasters of small towns, editors of small town newspapers are no less important than those of large cities.
For some reason, in today’s culture, we tend tolaud leaders of large communities and deride those of small communities.
Sometimes people treat small-town leaders as second-class citizens. Leading a large entity is not necessarily a sign of success and does not equate with excellence just because of the size of the community or business.
There are people who chose to work in a small community and it does not necessarily indicate laziness or a lack of ambition.
Dr. Roland Smith who just led his last Pea Ridge School Board meeting applauded this community as a caring community that excels in many areas. Smith has worked in many places in this country, yet still speaks glowingly of Pea Ridge.
Pea Ridge residents, hold your heads high and be proud of this community.
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Editor’s note: Annette Beard is the managing editor of The Times of Northeast Benton County. A native of Louisiana, she moved to this area in 1980. She has nine children, four sons-in-law, three grandsons, a granddaughter and another grandson due in September. She can be reached at abeard@ nwaonline.com. The opinions of the writer are her own, and are not necessarily those of The Times.
Opinion, Pages 4 on 06/13/2012