Bringing Back Local News

As more and more of our attention has flowed to profiteering national and international sources of “news” (cable news, FB, X etc.), the stuff that is actually happening in our local communities has been obscured to us.

This has happened because we aren't paying attention to it, and because the sources of that news have been decimated.  Local papers around the country have been shuttered or "rolled up" by PE.  And we are all worse off because of it.

We are less in the know about the issues that actually touch our lives the most.  Instead we are "entertained" by the national soap opera playing out in front of our eyes.  And it comes in the form of emotionally manipulative algorithmic content - designed to outrage. If it bleeds it leads has never been truer.

It was in this context that I was so heartened to hear about Bob Rifkin and the local non profit newspaper in Belmont Massachusetts the Belmont Voice.  They have returned to a simple model. The paper is delivered once a week to everyone's (physical) mailbox.  It only has stories about the local community. And it is run for the town and by folks in the town.  Check out this article to learn more.

I know there are other non profit models like this around the country that are thriving. I hope folks take a cue from the Belmont Voice and other groups like it.

My gut says we would all be better off if we were more informed and engaged with what was happening in our local community.  Somewhere we can actually make a difference.