If the news is never read, did it happen?

If the news is never read, did it happen? That is a legitimate question.

In a world where news and gossip are published to social media without oversight or a second thought, we find ourselves inundated with information twenty-four hours a day. To make matters worse, each release, statement, or post can be removed from existence with the click of a button.

The credibility of journalists, publishers, and elected officials using social media is under fire. When we stray from printed statements and news sources that can easily be referenced and questioned, we lose the safeguard that was given to us by our forefathers 250 years ago.

Those who claim to be a reliable source of news should be held accountable for what they say or write.

Nearly a year ago, South Dakota lost four sources of printed news, overnight. Four sources that could easily be held accountable or used as a public record of events.

If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound? If an elected official says they will keep their promise and no one remembers the promise, did they ever break it?

I’m intentionally writing this column on my 1939 Royal Aristocrat typewriter to prove a point. Every revision I type is sitting on my desk or in a recycling bin until I take the time to discard them permanently. Ben can walk in here and find every mistake or change I’ve made.

This is why the newspaper you may be holding right now is so important. This is why we work diligently to keep our press operating. This is why I’m asking you to subscribe.

We back what we write, and we can’t just delete what we’ve published. In a world of algorithms and AI, let us be a source of local and statewide events and news you know you can trust.

Start here.