NEWSDESK: WHY WE COVER

LOCAL NEWS ON CAPE COD? BUT WHY?



 In the old west, a saloon set up shop, followed in fast order by a general store and a church. Schools appeared. But only when a newspaper started publishing did the settlement become a town with an identity.



The “newspaper” wasn’t about a form (ink on paper) but rather about creating an accessible hub where community members shared news, celebrated or commiserated together, explored ideas and fears and collaborated in a discussion about solutions and options, and validated their identity as members of this place.



From the reaches of history to the current day, this ongoing need for shared knowledge and experiences helps form a sense of “us,” as a place to which we all belong. The formats may change, but a shared set of stories forms a cornerstone for communities that sustain.





LOCAL NEWS IN THE 21ST CENTURY


The world has changed and communication tools have changed - but this very core human need has not. Communities need a connective When our stories are no longer told, our stories are no longer being created .... Like the Whoville community on Horton the elephant’s dust speck, we need to shout “We are Here!” in order survive and thrive.



We live in a time dominated by division -- but our communities function best through communication and sharing in a fair, balanced, respectful, and nonpartisan manner. The world’s big issues matter, of course, but managing the myriad of local community “troubles” on daily basis forms the backbone of what keeps our communities healthy places to live.


Where else but local media can we talk about why a new fire station does (or doesn’t) matter, or how a local arts center offering new studios might create an economic pop for the area? These hyperlocal topics may not matter to humanity as a whole on a global scale, but they make a dramatic difference to everyday life in our home region.



Through the connective hub of local media, together we build a stage upon which our community can engage and create together.