Pick Up the Paper and Read Local

In a world of fake news and evolving artificial intelligence, it can be difficult to discern lies from truth as people scroll through endless amounts of content. Social media acts as an echo chamber for media consumers, causing divisions between people to grow. The answer to mitigating these issues might be found in the most traditional media outlet; the local newspaper.

North Dakota Newspaper Association Executive Director Cecile Wehrman leads an initiative titled Read Local. The campaign seeks to inform communities in North Dakota of the importance of local news outlets and show the connection between thriving newspapers and thriving communities. 

Although many people tend to believe newspapers are dying in North Dakotan communities, this is not the case. Newspapers are now more important than ever.

“Towns with newspapers have more volunteers. They [also] have more people running for public office, and they have more people voting,” Wehrman said. “They even have better financial ratings from municipal bonding.”

All of these factors have led NDNA to shift their focus onto the Read Local campaign. 

Wehrman explained that local news has become crowded out by things that have nothing to do with a person’s everyday life. A high competition for attention between media sources has led people to pay attention to their Facebook feed rather than an actual newspaper for their local news. Read Local asks people to pay attention to what’s going on in their own community, rather than what is only on their screens.

“We are now entering a post-reading world,” Wehrman said. “People are spending their free time on podcasts and videos because they are entertaining, but they are not a replacement for local news sources.”

The lack of reading ability in children has become a real issue, with many people taking note. Journalists and even YouTubers have expressed their concerns, revealing that tablets in classrooms have already had negative impacts on children’s reading scores.

“Will future generations learn to read, or will Siri and Alexa read for them?” Wehrman asked. “It’s an important question.”

People can now find newspapers in print, online, on websites and apps, and through social media. Still, local news continues to compete for local attention, and it is getting crowded out by the rest of the world, such as bigger news and entertainment models.

Despite this changing media landscape, North Dakota holds strong, with 72 newspapers still in print throughout all of North Dakota. Sometimes, a local newspaper is the only news source in the smaller communities in North Dakota. Many of these small newspapers are run by passionate individuals who wish to see their newspaper thrive.

Students can also get involved in supporting their local newspaper. The NDNA Education Program offers paid internships to students interested in working for their local newspaper in hopes of getting students interested in working for their local paper and telling stories in small towns.

“We’ve spent between $30,000 and $55,000 a year for the last five years putting a dozen or so interns out in newspapers to try and get more interest in telling those stories and working in small towns,” Wehrman said.

The amount of newspapers in North Dakota proves that local news has yet to become obsolete. With passionate individuals like Wehrman spreading the word, local newspapers may not only get the recognition they deserve, but also the support they need from their communities.

“Newspapers are not dying,” Wehrman said. “They are changing and evolving.”

As newspapers evolve with the world around them, the importance of the local newspaper may become even more vital. Newspapers aid in the democratic process and promote critical thinking among the younger population, removing us from the echo chambers that tell us what we want to hear. Read Local tells us exactly how to leave this echo chamber with a final call to action. Wehrman will continue to share this message as she drives her decaled van throughout North Dakota: “Start Reading Local.”