Michael Connelly, best-selling author, and journalist, once said, “A newspaper is the center of a community, it’s one of the tent poles of the community, and that’s not going to be replaced by websites and blogs.” In a society full of new technology and innovation, newspapers aren’t of utmost importance to many young men and women. Most of the population finds their news source from online platforms full of propaganda or biased information published only to raise their status. Community newspapers, however, are filled with passion and love for the community in which they are based. Community newspapers are dedicated to providing necessary information to the public and stories and articles of events and happenings within the community. It is imperative to support your local newspaper, as these writers their time and energy to making an impact and developing a sense of trust with their readers through the words delivered to us.
The Republic-Monitor, my local newspaper, has been serving my community for nearly 140 years. This newspaper was a huge factor in realizing my love for design and journalism. Seeing how vital the Republic-Monitor is within Perryville, I wanted to be a part of something similar. I decided to become Gleaner editor at the beginning of my senior year. The Gleaner, my school newspaper, was something I initially considered a chore. It was another thing on my plate during an already stressful last year of high school. I hadn’t yet realized the impact this position would have on my future of aspiring journalism and design. Leading a platform that distributes fun and informational articles has been something I’ve come to love, and I decided to translate that passion into pursuing a marketing and design degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
