Newspapering Isn't A Thankless Task

I always find it difficult to write a column around Thanksgiving.

I feel compelled to say thank you because I truly feel blessed. At the same time, I'm afraid what I write will seem trite.

But it's Thanksgiving and I'm thankful. So here goes.

Not long ago I was doing one of those career day things at Wawasee Middle School.

I was telling eighth-graders all about journalism. One of the things I mentioned was that they would never get rich in journalism. Unless, of course, they became the equivalent of someone like Dan Rather, which was unlikely, although not beyond the realm of possibility.

But I also told them there were a lot of rewards in journalism that weren't monetary.

I guess these are some of the things for which I am thankful.

Whether people realize it or not, journalism as a profession is really quite important.

That whole First Amendment thing is pretty significant. Our forefathers recognized that the greatest protection of liberty is the free exchange of ideas.

Countries that don't have freedom of speech and freedom of the press generally are not very fun places to live.

I think keeping tabs on government officials is pretty important.

I won't say that all government officials are ethically challenged, but I can assure you if there were no reporters, public policy at all levels would be vastly different.

Journalism also affords an opportunity for community service. What we put in the paper helps further the causes of all manner of social service agencies.

I remember when I was in college there were debates about the continued viability of newspapers.

The electronic age was upon us, some said. Soon, there would be computer terminals in every home. There simply would be no need for a newspaper, they predicted.

That was 20 years ago.

Frankly, I think those people were wrong. If anything, I think technology makes a newspaper even more viable.

I think the newspaper is like an island in a sea of information. A newspaper is comfortable and safe. It's a place where the myriad sources of information merge and get sorted out.

In a market like Warsaw, it's really the only place where you can get local news about local people.

And I really believe readers enjoy a daily newspaper.

The Hoosier State Press Association recently commissioned a survey that was conducted this fall by the Public Opinion Lab of IUPUI.

More than 1,200 Indiana registered voters were polled.

The poll sought to gauge public support for the publication of legal advertisements in newspapers and whether readers were more likely to vote than nonreaders.

The results were very encouraging to me.

There's been some debate about whether newspapers are an outdated means of communication. The Internet, for example, is being touted as a better way to reach people. Touted even as a way to replace publication of government notices in newspapers.

School superintendents recently asked the state legislature to allow them to forego publication of school performance reports in local newspapers.

They argued that publication costs too much and nobody reads the notices anyway.

Here's what the survey showed:

• 87 percent of registered voters said they believe government should be required to publish legal notices in newspapers.

• 77 percent of those who notice legals in newspapers (almost two-thirds) also read them.

• 56 percent of respondents recalled seeing school performance reports in newspapers.

• 75 percent of registered voters said they rely on newspapers for information on voting decisions.

• 81 percent of registered voters polled who subscribe to or regularly read newspapers said they voted "always" or "often."

• 54 percent of nonsubscribers/readers said they voted "always" or "often."

I always believed newspapers continued to be a viable, vibrant means of local communication, even in a world connected by the Internet.

The survey helped reinforce that notion for me.

At the career day, I also told the students about people I know who make more money than me, but who hate going to work every day.

I can honestly say I look forward to coming to the office. You just never know what you're going to encounter. Sometimes it's tragic, sometimes it's funny. Sometimes it's pleasant, sometimes it's annoying. Sometimes it's downright maddening.

But it's always different and it's always new. And it's never dull or boring.

So when it comes to my career, I'm thankful that I was lucky enough to find something to do that I really enjoy.

Part of the enjoyment comes from the people I work with. The newsroom staff puts in lots of hours trying to cover this community. Judging by the number of local news and sports stories they produce, they're doing a pretty fine job. I love it when there is nothing but local news and photos on the front page. That seems to be happening more and more these days. And I thank them for that.

Thanks to the management. They've given the news staff lots of freedom and put lots of ink and newsprint at our disposal.

Thanks to the advertising staff. They do a good job of paying the bills and assuring me a nice, roomy place to put the news.

Thanks to the people in circulation. They deliver the news to you every day.

And finally, thanks to you, the reader. Without you, there would be no Times-Union.

I am also thankful for family, friends, health and lots of other stuff, but that's a whole different column.

Here's hoping everybody had a truly happy Thanksgiving.