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June 13, 2010

EDITORIAL: New emphasis on local news

Press-Republican

You may have noticed in the past few days a somewhat subtle change in the presentation of the Press-Republican: We're putting more local news on Pages A-1 and B-1. That's a trend we intend to make a permanent part of our thinking when we package our news every day.

We've always emphasized the local part of our news menu. You don't need us to tell you what's going on in the nation and the world. That truth was never more cogent than it is today.

Historically, as the only "full-service" newspaper published in our region, we have taken seriously the importance of delivering a complete range of news for our readers. They may not have known what was going on in Chicago or Paris, in Fenway Park or even Yankee Stadium. So we provided the most important information from wherever it happened, and we presented in ranked order — or, at least, by the somewhat subjective ranking of several editors that day. (Any choice of which news appears in what order is always subjective, no matter who is doing it. We have lots of experience and knowledge, but we certainly don't have a manual on right vs. wrong on news selection.)

In recent years, however, other choices of news sources have flourished — it's no longer limited to local radio, local TV or the newspaper. Added to that eager group are CNN, CNBC, ESPN and other cable and satellite outlets, as well as the dizzying array of Internet sites that claim to have the inside track on news.

What none of them has, though, which we have always had, continue to have and will always have, is complete news of the North Country. We report on Washington and Kabul via the world's most respected news gatherer, The Associated Press. We continue have to unshakable confidence in the reliability of the information provided by AP.

However, even AP reports are available in other newspapers coming into the region. We can't and wouldn't claim any exclusivity there.

But, as for what's going on in Plattsburgh, Ticonderoga, Malone, Saranac Lake and points in between, we'll immodestly argue we are the authority. And that's why we are drawing more attention than previously to the local news.

Our franchise is local news. It's why almost everyone who buys us does so. Therefore, we're going to make local news the most prominent of our daily offering, with certain exceptions, of course. Nothing is absolute when it comes to news judgment.

Please understand, however, that this doesn't mean we will carry any less non-local news. We are going to carry as much state, national and international news and sports as ever. We are carrying it mostly in other parts of the paper, that's all. We zealously guard our role as the main North Country source for all news.

For generations, we have billed ourselves as "The hometown newspaper of Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties." A new emphasis on priority placement of local happenings underscores that.

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