Sunday is the start of National Newspaper Week. This year’s theme: Journalism matters. Now more than ever. 

In some instances NOW is capitalized. I think that’s a reaction to national publications dealing with the accusations of “fake news” from the White House. Still, journalism is just as important at the local level.

Citizens need to stay informed, but it would take a Herculean effort if you tried on your own to stay informed about all the news found in the Register. Our news staff reports on the city council, school board and county commission. They keep readers informed about fires and crime. They produce up-to-date calendars of community happenings. They attend and report on a wide range of athletic events. They write feature stories about your friends and neighbors. 

It takes a special kind of person to face a blank page every day and fill it with news. Before heads get too swollen in the newsroom, I’d remind them that they don’t do this alone. 

The office and advertising staffs at the Register are just as dedicated to doing their best for readers every day. 

But there are others, beyond the staff at the Register, that deserve credit for supplying this community with news.

At the Register, we went through a big change on June 1 with the switch to morning publication and delivery by the post office. The U.S. Postal Service has its critics, but I’m not one of them. They handle our papers every day, ensuring prompt, precise delivery.

(Relying on delivery by the post office means no Register on federal holidays. That means you won’t be getting a Register on Monday, Oct. 8, Native American Day.)

We appreciate the loyal subscribers who keep the post office busy six days a week. But subscriptions don’t pay all of the bills. We also need advertisers to keep this operation rolling, and I’m happy to say that in Brookings and the surrounding area we have some loyal businesses who support their local newspaper.

There’s another kind of advertising that often gets overlooked – public notices. They’re the best barometer of what’s going on in local government and the only place to find them is in the newspaper.

We’re not blind to all the different sources people have for news. It seems like we’re bombarded by TV, the internet and social media. Many of them are not known for their objectivity. There is, however, one place where you can find professionally produced, trustworthy news about your community. And that’s in the newspaper. 

We don’t say it often enough, but thanks for giving us the opportunity to serve you. 

Whether you’re a subscriber, an advertiser or a news source, Newspaper Week is your week, too. We couldn’t do it without you.