Your Local Newspaper
Yesterday I ran across something that was quite surprising, disturbing actually.
My local newspaper had written a story about a short speech our local, elected, Sheriff gave. Given that even local newspapers have online multi-media components now, they also posted the video of his speech.
Well, You Tube took the video down.
The tech giant declared that it didn't meet You Tube's Community Standards. What standard did it violate? Well, the Sheriff's comments suggested that people consider not wearing masks during this time of pandemic.
What the Sheriff said though, right or wrong, is irrelevant to this discussion.
The fact is that his comments were newsworthy.
The local newspaper ran news coverage about them. That is the job of a newspaper. To report what happened.
To be clear here, when I'm talking about my local newspaper, I'm not talking about some crazy guy in his basement. I'm talking about a real newspaper that has been printing the news since 1889.
The power of tech companies has grown exponentially over my lifetime. Now it seems they are even claiming the power to decide what is, and what is not newsworthy. All while remaining completely shielded from any repercussions.
Do we really want a tiny handful of super rich people in California's bay area deciding what the rest of the people throughout the United States can read and see?
If we allow that to happen, will not our news consumption be as effectively tightly controlled as that in North Korea?
The fact is, our Republic, any Republic, needs a strong press if it is to survive, let alone thrive.
As Freemasons we are charged to find Truth, Knowledge, and Light. If a nameless, faceless, someone else controls what we can read and see, well then it becomes impossible for us to find the Truth, to gain Knowledge, to become enlightened.
Let's also remember that while things like Presidential politics get all the attention, the things that really impact our daily lives happen at the Local level. The Legislature, the County Commission, and the City Council. Places that national news outlets won't and can't cover.
These most important bodies are covered, almost exclusively, by our own local newspapers.
We must support our local newspapers, and we must fight against the takeover of the news by big tech.
How do we do so?
It's easy actually.
Subscribe. Pay for the paper. Give local media the money it needs to survive.
That's all it takes.
I also suggest however that our Lodges take it a step further and develop a relationship with the local paper.
They don't have the resources to track down what the Masons and all the service clubs are doing like they may have had thirty years ago. They will however, very often, print our news if we make it available to them.
In many cases they will print stories of our service work, and our Installations. If we let them know what our Lodge is up to.
Doing so is good for them, it helps to keep their reporting relevant to the community. Doing so is great for a Lodge, it shows people that we are in the community, accomplishing things, and thriving.
Its a win win, and it is easy for a Lodge to do.
It makes our own community stronger.
As I close, I will acknowledge that most of us now get all of our news online. It goes without saying however, that if the newspaper goes down, so too does their online presence. When that happens, our community loses its voice.
Make no mistake, the day that we lose our last newspaper is the day our Republic itself dies.
-Cameron
Cameron M. Bailey Past Grand Master The MW Grand Lodge F&AM of Washington
Subscribe to receive posts via email.