By Santa Claus
Special to The Herald
Dear Santa, some of my friends at school say that newspapers are dying and that The Daily Herald, well, won’t be a daily anymore. Papa says, “If you see it in The Herald, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, Santa Claus, are there still going to be newspapers? Will we still see it in The Herald to know if it’s so?”
Virginia Hewitt
Dear Virginia, your friends are mistaken. They’ve listened to the cynicism of an age of short-attention spans and unchallenged rumors. They can’t believe even what they hold in their hands, whether it leaves ink on their fingers or chimes with an update on their HeraldNet phone app.
Yes, Virginia, there is still a Herald. It is still keeping its community of readers informed, connected and entertained and will for many decades to come.
Yes, it’s true that The Herald is making changes to how the print edition is delivered; it will now be brought to homes by mail delivery rather than carriers. Believe me, Santa knows a thing or two about delivery issues and supply chains; this winter in particular. But my elves at The Herald assure me that mail delivery offers the best option to make sure subscribers continue to get their print version of The Herald, Tuesdays through Saturdays, when the new weekend Herald will arrive with more color and more stories and features.
And on Sundays and Mondays, news updates, sports scores, daily cartoons and features will be just a click away on HeraldNet.com or the HeraldNet phone app.
Now, it is true that elsewhere, other communities are losing their newspapers, that they are being swallowed up by “news deserts,” cold, barren lands without the benefit of a local newspaper — whether in print or digital — that can keep them up to date about the events and people of their communities, where people are doomed to scroll through TikTok videos without end.
Some very smart people at a college called the Medill School of Journalism warned that such news deserts are unfortunate places where people no longer participate in elections or in public meetings because they don’t know where candidates stand on issues or what their local governments are up to; where corruption goes unnoticed in business and government because there is no watchdog to alert them to trouble; and where false information goes unchallenged and is allowed to spread.
Alas! How sad and dreary are communities without newspapers. Imagine, no local news, no high school sports and coverage of local teams, no features about your neighbors, no colorful weather maps, no restaurant reviews. No Frazz or Pearls Before Swine on the comics page. Gasp! No crosswords or Sudoku? And no opinions and commentary? We would have no enjoyment, except for videos of cats on YouTube.
How lucky for you, Virginia, that that is not your community. The Herald still exists, as much as I do in everyone’s spirit. And do you want to know why The Herald still exists? It’s because of people like you and your parents. The subscribers, dear Virginia!
It is because of loyal subscribers and steadfast advertisers that The Herald, other newspapers and other sources of journalism are able to keep reporters and photographers on their beats, editors toiling behind keyboards and press operators loading a newly refurbished press with rolls of newsprint and ink to print.
And its especially because of members of your community — individuals, businesses, organizations and foundations — who do more than subscribe and make generous donations from $5 to $75,000 that are supporting special journalism funds at The Herald that sustain the work of reporters and others.
Brenda Mann Harrison, The Herald’s journalism development director and an honorary workshop elf, recently wrote about the funds and the work they are supporting in investigative journalism, environment and climate change reporting, health reporting and K-12 education.
Mann Harrison also noted the thoughts sent along with recent donations:
Bryce H. of Everett, who said, “Reliable local journalism is key to an informed community, and that’s exactly the type of community I want to be a part of, an informed one.”
Cindy T., of Snohomish, donated to The Herald’s environmental and climate change reporting fund because, “Facts and climate matter, and I wanted to help in some small way.”
And Anne G., of Edmonds, who said, “I love seeing stories in the Herald about Snohomish County where I live. It is not enough to have national or regional news. We need local news done well.”
Bryce, Cindy, Anne and so many others are definitely on Santa’s “Nice” list.
You see, Virginia, The Herald and other trusted sources of journalism will be around as long as you and others find value in them and support them with your subscriptions and advertising. As long as there are stories to tell and people who want to read those stories, journalism will live on and newspapers and The Herald will keep publishing.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Santa Claus, Herald subscriber since Feb. 11, 1901
P.S. Thanks for the milk and cookies, kids.
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