A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
COMMENTARY/COMMUNITY
Real newspapers deliver real news
By ROLLIE ATKINSON
GUEST COMMENTARY
“R
eal Newspapers, Real
News” is the theme
of this year’s National
Newspaper Week (Oct. 1-7.)
Indeed, there’s always been lots of
“real” at newspapers. Real stories,
real journalism, real work, real
deadlines, real honesty, real facts,
real changes and, now, real threats.
This is the 77th annual National
Newspaper Week, a
time to reflect on the
job of newspapers
to keep all things
“real” such as real
conversation, real
democracy, real
science, real trade,
Rollie Atkins
real fact-sharing,
real faith and real
friends. Of course we hear lots these
days about what’s not real — so-
called fake news and alternative
facts and the non-stop stream of
internet-based noise, disruptions and
misinformation.
The job of newspapers in Amer-
ica and in thousands of hometowns
like ours has never been more chal-
lenging — or more challenged.
Once upon a time, newspaper
circulation grew faster than the
country’s population. In many plac-
es, newspaper subscriptions actually
outnumbered total households. But
since at least the 1980s, newspaper
circulation in America has been on a
steady and worsening decline.
At the same time, newspapers
remain the top choice for people
seeking real news and reliable
information. More than half of all
Americans still subscribe or pay for
newspapers or access to their web-
More than half of all
Americans still subscribe or
pay for newspapers or access
to their websites. America’s
newspaper audience exceeds
today’s TV news watchers.
sites. America’s newspaper audience
exceeds today’s TV news watchers.
Less than 5 percent of this audience
tune into FOX, CNN or MSNBC,
according to a recent National
Newspaper Association survey. Just
11 percent of the survey’s respon-
dents said the internet was their
primary news source.
Newspapers have survived the
advent of radio and broadcast TV.
But the threat of 24/7 internet-de-
livered media, commercials and
amusement is disrupting the very
reality for which newspapers were
first invented. More and more peo-
ple can’t tell the difference between
real news and fake news. We use
Facebook for faceless conversations,
and we won’t accept that social
media is very often anti-social. No
amount of tweets will protect the
public’s right to know or watchdog
our government.
A growing number of people,
especially younger ones, think real
news should be free and magically
appear on their smart phones. Real
journalists are losing their jobs
because the old business model of
newspapers is busted. Advertising
revenues are declining faster than
circulation at most newspapers, and
hundreds of hometown papers have
gone out of business in just the past
few years.
“Keeping it real” has become a
rallying cry in newsrooms and news
websites where journalists are trying
to reinvent themselves and keep real
news alive — and paid for.
What is the future for newspa-
pers? Cars will soon drive them-
selves and keyboards may disappear
from computers and offices. All
news — including the real kind
— may be delivered to our phones
or even via brain implants. Who
knows?
The term “newspaper”may soon
define something that has nothing
to do with ink or paper, just like
Xerox used to mean making copies
or an iron horse was actually a train.
Newspaper may become a misno-
mer the way “service station,” “ice
box” or “tin foil” all refer to vanish-
ing artifacts.
The real matter here is not so
much keeping newspapers real;
rather it is keeping journalism real.
Real news requires fact-checking,
research, practice, trust-building
and a devotion to truth, honesty and
democratic decision making.
Real newspapers were born in
times before electricity and tele-
graphs. Real newspapers have
witnessed and experienced changing
realities, including the founding of
this nation, world wars, space travel
and personal computers, and next,
robots and artificial intelligence.
Whatever reality that newspapers
next face to stay real and keep real
news alive will require real readers
and real revenues.
Rollie Atkinson, is publisher for
Sonoma West Publishers in Sebas-
topol, California.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017
IN BRIEF
Hospital auxiliary
sells sports jerseys
An upcoming fundrais-
er by the Good Shepherd
Medical Center Auxiliary
will appeal to sports enthu-
siasts.
Professional sports jer-
seys and hoodies will be
available for purchase
Thursday, Oct. 12, from
7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Con-
ference Rooms 5-6 at the
hospital, 610 N.W. 11th St.,
Hermiston. Money raised
for the event will be used
to purchase medical equip-
ment and provide scholar-
ships for those pursuing a
career in the medical field.
For more information,
contact juner1942@gmail.
com.
Bilingual production
highlights social
issues
A bilingual production
that’s based on the true sto-
ry of Mexican-American
author and educator Tomás
Rivera will be staged in
Pendleton.
Presented by the Oregon
Children’s Theatre touring
production team, “Tomás &
the Library Lady” is rele-
vant and timely with social
issues regarding immigra-
tion and worker rights. Ri-
vera’s family were migrant
workers who fled war in
Mexico to live in the Unit-
ed States.
The free performance is
Saturday at 2 p.m. at Pend-
leton Center for the Arts,
214 N. Main St. In addi-
tion, while the team is in
the region, several school
performances are planned
in Hermiston.
Ava Goodling, Oregon
Children’s Theatre’s mar-
keting associate, said using
both English and Spanish in
the production, really gives
the audience a glimpse into
the inside world of Tomás
and his family. For people
that aren’t bi-lingual, they
won’t have any difficulty
following the storyline, she
said.
For more information
about the local perfor-
mance, call the arts center
at 541-278-9201. For more
about the Oregon Chil-
dren’s Theatre, visit www.
octc.org.
Liberty Quartet to
perform in Stanfield
A music ministry that
bridges all generations, the
Liberty Quartet will per-
form in Stanfield.
Founded in 1995, the
Southern gospel group is
based out of Boise. The
quartet presents everything
from high-energy perfor-
mances to moments of con-
templation. Regardless of
the style, Liberty leads a
concert of worship.
The free event is Sun-
day at 6 p.m. at Stanfield
Baptist Church, 310 N.E.
Wheeler Ave. A love offer-
ing will be taken.
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