In a world increasingly shaped by global headlines and social media noise, local journalism is vital for civic engagement, accountability and community resilience. So, it’s a great time to celebrate National Newspaper Week.
Each week, The Osceola News-Gazette reports community news. That ranges from the good news and features to in-depth coverage of the county’s high school sports teams, to the breaking news and crime reports that Osceola County residents need to know about.
Talented reporters who put together News-Gazette stories make personal appearances and phone calls, gathering all the necessary information to dig deep into important topics. Anybody can copy a press release or take a few photos from an event and call it news. Instead of blogging, I push those reporters to do what my UCF professors taught me: take a little bit of time, drill down an inch deep and a mile wide (rather than the other way around), to tell a fuller, fact-based story.
In a time when disinformation spreads rapidly online, local newspapers are trusted to provide accurate information about what’s really happening in their communities. Much like the way we stress that voting for your local city and county leaders impacts your daily life more than who sits in the White House or Congress, a news-gathering agency— you may not be reading it in a physical paper, but you’re still reading the content—helps empower residents with the information they need to make important daily decisions while highlighting their achievements in the community.
At a time when local newspapers like ours face common challenges of the times, community and business support is crucial to keeping the neighborhood informed and community journalism alive. Nearly 35,000 of you receive the paper to your homes and businesses each week. Many others access our content and coverage at AroundOsceola.com. We thank each one of you for the trust and confidence you give our work by reading and engaging in it.
The great Jim Gardner, the longtime news anchor at 6ABC WPVI in Philadelphia—and my journalism muse—offered a powerful statement in his final sign-off before retiring in 2022:
We formed a covenant years ago; we give you our commitment to reporting in a no-nonsense way the things that are important to you, and making sure what we tell you is accurate and fair, and share in your joys and sadnesses, your triumphs and your losses, because they are ours, too. In return you gave us one thing: your trust.
The American free press has been under attack, not by forces from other countries, but forces imbedded in our society, and even our own government … serving you the people with responsible and unbiased journalism; this is our mission. And if we falter, you damn well better let us know, for your benefit and for ours.
In a line of work where I’m paid to have the right thing to say at a time like this, my words couldn’t express that any better.
Even in challenging times, should you rely on us to maintain the mission?
Absolutely, Osceola.
In three stints since 2000, Ken Jackson has been a News-Gazette sports writer, senior staff reporter, sports editor and editor-in-chief.
