The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-07-06
WHY A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
(W. G. Mills, Hanover, Mieh.)


during friendly discussion Of relative
value, to name three things which he
would consider most essential to his vel
fare should he be marooned on an UNI
inhabited island. His answer was most
significant when he said:
First, I would most desire my family.
Second my hometown newspaper. Third,
my gum
The fact that his hometown news
paper came second in Importance to his
family speaks volumes for that institution
and it is not altogether strange that per-
son with Roosevelts perception Of values
should make this choice.
The community newspaper is essen
TALLY serial history and biography, com
bined, of the people and events in the ter
ritory which it serves Through its sue
ceeding volumes the communitys progress
--or retrogression-is mconsciously por-
trayed. 1t makes it's subscribers problems
its own problem; sympathetic under
standing exists between publisher and sub
scriber which is entirely absent in urban
publications. This spirit of fraternalism
extends to closer relationships between the
those whom the advertiser serves. His APP
peal is not so much one of better bar
gains" and 'cut prices as it is of friend
ship, cemented by years of pleasant and
constructive community association. His
advertisements are a message from one
friend to another
It is the function of the community
newspaper to direct and to further the cul-
tural, educational and spiritual life of its
community, in addition to the dissemina-
ton of news. 1t holds as a sacred obliga-
ton the furtherance of all projects de-.
signed for public benefit, and it opposes
with equal determination that which is
detrimental. 1t is the clearing house for
opinions expressed by expert and reader,
alike
The community newspaper occupies a
traditional place in the existence of It's
home town parallel in Importance to the
school and the church. It is an integral
part of the realization of pioneering effort
to constructive living the mouth-piece of
an enterprising and progressive element Of
national life. The spirit of neighborliness
is engendered by the familiarity with which
it treats it's family of readers it's flexible
editorial policies permit of the same
reportorial treatment of the news Of twin
calves born to Bill Jones' COW as is given to
news of worldwide Importance. And the
same fine editorial discrimination compells
the absence Of news in its columns which
directs unfavorable attention to a member
of its circle.
By close adherence to policy which
is dictated by philosophy peculiar to
rural society, the community newspaper
has come to be regarded as an indispens-
able part of the rural civic plan. It's sub
scribers enjoy a sense of proprietorship;
feeling which is shared by the average
hometown editor. 1t is the tie which binds
the common interest of John Brown, who
operates the corner store, with that of Jim
White, who maintains fine herd of Jer-
seys on his farm three miles south of town
By its influence the community spirit of
interdependence is promoted, intimate
news is made available to those far re
moved from childhood associations, and
through its sympathetic knowledge of COM
munity affairs it has become vital neces-
sity to all community programs of pro-
gress.
Your community newspaper needs
you-you need your community news
paper!