As farmers and ranchers continue to press ahead with their fall duties those of us in the newspaper profession also toil in our vocation. We have a reason to celebrate. Oct. 1 to 7 marks the 83rd celebration of National Newspaper Week.
In working on this column, a quote that stood out was from one of the states in High Plains Journal’s coverage area.
“A free press is the guardian of democracy. In whatever form, it must be preserved.”
–Charlotte Tillar Schexnayder (1923-2020), member of the Arkansas House of Representatives and publisher and editor of “The Dumas Clarion,” Dumas, Arkansas.
Newspapers and publications, just like the people we serve, have evolved. In the not-so-distant past the week itself was dedicated to only print publications. Farmers and ranchers crave information in any form and today they can literally carry it with them on their mobile devices. We also have evolved with an online edition, hpj.com, and newsletters that provide targeted news on topics of interest from beef, soil health, wheat, alfalfa-forage, water, sorghum, and row crops. These newsletters are sent electronically through email. Advertisers also work with HPJ to deliver specialty content, too.
Our Founding Fathers, when they wrote the First Amendment of the Constitution, could not have foreseen all that the 20th and 21st century brought in terms of technology. Yet we all live by the well-written statement in the U.S. Bill of Rights as provided in 1791, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Though it is National Newspaper Week, we share with our other ag media friends in radio, television and other formats about the importance of a free press to deliver valuable news that can help farmers and ranchers succeed.
As we draw attention to this week in the publications industry it is a duty that has year-around responsibility. At HPJ we take pride in our legacy and salute today’s staff and ownership and past staff members and owners. Understanding where we came from gives us the blueprint of where we need to go.
For HPJ that means serving farmers and ranchers by providing reliable information from trusted sources. Our legacy remains strong as recently witnessed at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson where the fair board recognized HPJ’s 60 years of exhibiting..
Like farmers and ranchers, we know that going the extra mile is important to success. As we reflect upon the week it gives us an opportunity to recognize that more can always be done and we’re confident that our team is doing just that through all our platforms. We know those are realistic expectations and we are thankful for the opportunity to serve.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
