EDITORIAL: QUESTIONS, ANSWERS AND A RENEWED SPIRIT

Running a newspaper has never been without challenge. Ever since journalism through the printed word became part of the human existence there have been issues to deal with and hurdles to overcome, be it accuracy and fairness, timely delivery, content that is appealing to readership or financial viability.

Particularly in more recent years, the sustainability of newspapers has come into legitimate question as advertising revenge has declined, readership trends have shifted and the priority many place on receiving the news through traditional means has changed. The net result has been the consolidation of some newspapers and the closure of others, a change in frequency among many dailies and increasing attention placed on social media and other online platforms.

Not only is The Courier sorting through all of those things in an effort to stay both viable and relevant, another challenge has emerged in more recent weeks — what the discussion among readers should look like on our editorial pages. The free and largely uncensored exchange of opinions and ideas is fundamental to newspapers and the soul of the industry, but how far is too far? How much is too much? And to what end should the back-and-forth between people who disagree go on?

We continue to wrestle with those questions in pursuit of a renewed/reaffirmed policy that both protects the readers’ right to say what he or she wants while guarding against mistruths and personal vendettas. It’s not easy.

All of the aforementioned challenges sit on the shoulders of those who continue to publish newspapers, and it can at times feel heavy. But we were reminded last week that, at the end of the day, our mission is to tell the stories of the people of our communities and our communities themselves — whatever those stories may be.

To that end, The Courier was honored by the South Dakota Newspaper Association last week at its 2022 Better Newspaper Contest for its work in the world of community journalism. Whether it was our spot news coverage of the May 12, 2022 derecho; the sports feature on Suzanne Koerner, her three daughters and their collective cross-country legacy; or the ongoing developments surrounding the city of Freeman’s $5.1 Main Street project, our peers recognized our work as good.

It was both humbling and affirming, and serves as motivation for The Courier to continue to do what The Courier has done since it was founded in 1901.

Just as there have always been questions, there will always be questions about what to do, how to do it, how to change and — ultimately — how to do better. It’s Problem Solving 101, and some of the answers come easy. Others come hard. Many have yet to come.

But this much is certain: The Courier will continue to work on behalf of the people, businesses, schools, city governments, organizations, non-profits and whatever other factions there are that make our towns what they are.

Thank you for your continued support, encouragement, input and advice.

We cannot continue to publish a newspaper without you.

And whether you know it or not, a community will not be what it is without us.

Jeremy Waltner | Publisher