Love ’em or hate ’em, newspapers provide a host of important functions to the communities they serve. From economic development and news to legal notices and obituaries, newspapers are an information hub.
Every week in America, two newspapers close their doors and stop documenting the life and times of the people in their communities. That means more than 360 newspapers have disappeared during the pandemic.
As a former newspaper photographer, that statistic is heartbreaking.
It should make you sad, too.
Without local reporting, who keeps an eye on local politicians to ensure everything they do is aboveboard? Who documents the exploits of high school and college athletes in your community? Who records local history as it evolves?
Since June 1954, Ruralite magazine has been working with electric utilities to bring news to homes throughout the Northwest. Many of the areas we serve no longer have newspapers. We certainly feel the weight of that responsibility.
While Ruralite doesn’t cover your community like a newspaper, we do document your community through the eyes of your electric utility. That means as your utility has grown and changed, there is a record of that evolution and the people involved.
We also report on the energy industry and document the way technology has affected how your electricity is delivered and used. Our feature stories shine a light on the members of your community and how they make a difference.
This year, our storytellers focused on education and how it has persevered in the wake of COVID-19. On page 12, you can read our last story in “The Learning Curve” series—a unique education program in Alaska that gives students hands-on outdoor learning. To review all our series stories, visit https://tinyurl.com/PURLC.
In 2023, we are stepping away from a theme and looking to bring readers a variety of content. We hope to engage and encourage you, and maybe even elicit a few tears along the way.
If you have a story to suggest, please send it my way at info@pioneer.coop.
We are particularly interested in stories about people who work in the background and quietly go about making their communities better. We know they are humble, but that is all the more reason they deserve recognition.