PHOTO OF THE DAY: OUR 125TH YEAR
This editorial is included with the April 10, 2025 issue of The Courier.
The Courier: Vol. 125, No. 1
This is a milestone issue for the Freeman-based weekly newspaper and a reminder of why community journalism has been — and continues to be — so important.
It is fitting that this week’s Courier includes coverage of two major stories much different from one another — coverage of Schmeckfest and all that goes with it, and a comprehensive look at the local high school sports scene and what it means for relationships across multiple communities.
It’s fitting, because the April 10 edition of The Courier is the first of the newspaper’s 125th volume.
Since the Freeman weekly debuted on April 11, 1901, it has been telling the story of the community, the people of the community — and even of the larger surrounding area — week in and week out. Those stories have ranged from everyday life to special events to the pertinent news of the town. Over the course of the 125 years, an astronomical number of details have been documented and preserved for all time. Think about it; had the Courier not been here for all of these years and decades, what would this community’s history look like?
The two primary stories this week — Schmeckfest and school cooperation — reflect the value of community journalism in two very profound ways. The account of this year’s Schmeckest is a reflection of the importance the Freeman area places on its heritage while the reporting on school board decisions and public dialogue is critical to public information, transparency and accountability — pillars on which journalism stands.
One hundred and twenty-five years is a long time, and the fact that The Courier has been here all those weeks means a great deal to the community — at least it should. This newspaper has shed light on the development of rural electrification generations ago, business growth over the decades, elections, cultural milestones, watershed moments, athletic achievements, personal testimonies, tragedies and celebrations.
The Courier has championed health care, local commerce, the development of infrastructure and the value of loyalty and positive language. “Say a good word for Freeman and watch her grow” (see the photo) was a tag line used on the front page of the newspaper every week for many, many years in the middle part of the 20th century, and longtime publisher J. J. Mendel (1902-1960) had a sign on the front door of his office that read, “Come in without knocking and go out the same way.”
That the Courier continues to play a critical role matters a great deal, and in this age of distrust and misinformation, the integrity of community journalism is more important than ever.
Things have changed greatly since the internet came into prominence 30 years ago, and newspapers have had to adapt with new times. Online journalism is as critical today as the printed product, because the news of the week is no longer “the news of the week,” but rather the news of the day.
But, regardless of how it is delivered, at its core journalism is a reflection of the surrounding community, and we now embark on our 125th year of taking that seriously.
The support The Courier has received from the business communities, the organizations that help give our towns life and the readers who want the news has been both heartening and humbling. So thank you.
What will the rest of 2025 bring in this, our 125th year? Nobody knows.
But trust The Courier will be there to document it, as was the case on April 11, 1901, and in the thousands of weeks that have followed.
Jeremy Waltner | Editor & Publisher
