Value of a community newspaper

What if that business lasted more than 22 years? Would you consider it successful? If you are talking about the San Mateo Daily Journal, I would.

It’s odd to say that we are older than companies like Facebook (18 years), Twitter (16) and Nextdoor (12), which are developing many of their own issues when it comes to content. What makes social media interesting and addictive also makes it dangerous. Those companies are successful by every financial metric, but does that mean they are good for us?

This is something everyone in our society should be contemplating. The reach of those social media companies is vastly greater, and different, than a local newspaper, but the concept is essentially the same — simultaneously build and inform a community. But let’s talk about us.

The Daily Journal opinion page is where people can swap ideas and, well, opinions, and we also have an online comment section where people can add their two cents on our stories, letters, opinion pieces and anything else. There is extra protection for letters targeting a matter of public concern or the actions of a public official. In other words, public officials get to take more heat. Columnists have opinions. Letter writers too. It’s not always nice, but that’s life.

It is also important to note that someone sharing an opinion you disagree with does not make that misinformation. And it is most important to note that the best recourse is to share your own opinion either by kindly contacting a columnist or by writing a letter to the editor. That’s community.

While social media and its attention to likes and shares drives traffic and addiction, it is often an echo chamber and the eyeballs could be anywhere. People are impressed by someone with 15,000 social media followers, but how many of those live in this community? We buy our ink by the barrel and print in this community, so we know most of our readers are here paying attention. Our online readers and social media followers can be anywhere, but most have a vested interest in this community. So who has the biggest reach in San Mateo County? With respect to other publications also serving this county, we have 83,000 regular readers right here. That’s community.

When people read our news stories, they know we are doing our best to give everyone a fair shake. We are dedicated to providing the real story and not gossip. We try our absolute best to ensure our stories are accurate, clear and insightful. We respond to questions and comments and appreciate them best when presented in a productive and professional manner and not as a scold — just like any other workplace. We correct our mistakes. We like it when people want to share their ideas and stories. We are responsive and responsible. As our mission statement attests, we choose to reflect the diverse character of this dynamic and ever-changing community.

Social media companies or larger media don’t do this. But we do. At times, it seems our readers think of us as a sort of utility, always there and providing a service. This is true, however, we don’t collect tax revenue or fees aside from our online subscriptions; so keeping up with the community demand for more can be a challenge. But we rise every day to meet that challenge because it’s in our blood and we believe in community service.

Free speech, clear communication and an exchange of ideas is essential to any community. It provides a sense of attachment and engagement. Without a local newspaper or consistent source of clear and unbiased information, more would be drawn to social media where political divides deepen.

That divide is what we work against every single day by instead committing to build and strengthen our community through open communication. I’d say that’s a pretty successful business. And honestly, it’s one we are all pretty lucky to have right here in our community.

Jon Mays is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Journal. He can be reached at jon@smdailyjournal.com. Follow Jon on Twitter @jonmays.