Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
“Newspapers are dying!” “Print is dead!”
I’ve heard or read various renditions of those phrases time and time over the years.
Well, don’t write our obituary just yet.
Did you know that approximately 82 percent of South Carolinians depend on their local print or digital newspaper?
That’s not to say the newspaper industry doesn’t face challenges. Newspapers are closing at an alarming rate across the country – an estimated two per week.
Why is that?
Well, there’s not really one root cause. Yes, the internet and social media hurt us. Then the economic downturn in the late 2000s. COVID-19 certainly didn’t do us any favors as many businesses stopped or cut advertising.
In my opinion, a big issue has been hedge funds and other corporate owners that prefer to cut costs by shrinking staff and coverage rather than investing in local news. Sadly, thousands of journalists – and other dedicated newspaper employees – have been laid off in recent years.
Before I took over ownership of The People-Sentinel in 2021, we were owned by various companies, including the largest newspaper chain in the country. Colleagues who had invested years – in some cases, decades – were given the pink slip. We lost control of the design and layout of the paper. The number of pages was limited to 10. We were told that certain types of content could no longer be published, such as arrest reports and the annual high school graduation section.
The People-Sentinel was a shell of what it was when I first started as a staff writer in 2010. The staff was trimmed from 13 to 3 and the number of pages cut from 24 to 10.
It was frustrating!
Why would readers want to read a newspaper that barely covers the community? If the readers don’t read the paper, why would advertisers invest their money?
Thankfully, the return to local ownership and oversight meant we could undo those decisions and start building back the newspaper to one our community deserved and needed. Our newspaper has seen steady growth over the past two years. We’ve invested in staff, content, equipment, and technology. We are now up to 10 people on staff and an average of 20 pages each week. This has resulted in more advertisers and subscribers – including over 200 new print subscribers and over 100 digital subscribers.
Some may not understand the importance of a newspaper. We are more than just words and photos.
Newspapers capture the essence and heart of a community, both in the good and bad times:
• Want to know what your school board, city council or other public body is up to, including how they are spending your tax dollars? Read a newspaper.
• Want to know about upcoming local events? Read a newspaper.
• Want to know when someone is arrested or details on a crime? Read a newspaper.
• Want to know about new businesses? Read a newspaper.
• Want to know who made the honor roll? Read a newspaper.
• Want to know who’s running for local office? Read a newspaper.
• Want to know about your hometown teams? Read a newspaper.
• Want to know when a friend, loved one or neighbor dies? Read a newspaper.
• Want to celebrate births, weddings, and other life accomplishments? Read a newspaper.
• Want to read human-interest stories about your neighbors? Read a newspaper.
• Want to know when a bar could open near you, someone has a property in foreclosure, or property could be rezoned? Read a newspaper.
• Want fun, educational activities for your kids? Read a newspaper.
• Want to know about sales at grocery stores and other businesses? Maybe save some money with coupons? Read a newspaper.
• Want to rent a home or buy a car? Read a newspaper.
I could keep going, but I think you get the point.
A community newspaper is the one place you can find a wealth of information. Sure, Facebook and other social media platforms are helpful, but they don’t truly provide information that will impact your life and our community.
Our dedicated team puts in the hard work every day to ensure you stay informed with factual, unbiased reporting. We go to the meetings and conduct interviews to gather the facts. We investigate potential wrongdoing. We attend community events, athletic events, and other happenings.
Barnwell County is fortunate to still have a newspaper. As stated earlier, many communities are grappling with the reality of no longer having a newspaper. This means reporters are no longer telling the stories that matter and holding public officials accountable. Residents no longer know what is happening in their own backyard.
Unfortunately, that has been the reality in neighboring Allendale County for more than 10 years since the closure of its newspaper. This has resulted in more crime, government corruption, the school district being taken over by the state, high unemployment, and residents simply not knowing what’s happening. The People-Sentinel is proud to help change that with our recent expansion into Allendale County while still ramping up coverage in Barnwell County.
With this week, Oct. 1-7, being National Newspaper Week, we don’t ask for your sympathy regarding the challenges and long hours. We don’t even ask you to praise our work and dedication.
Instead, we simply ask for your support. Most importantly, we want everyone to read the newspaper (in print or online) every week. A subscription is the easiest and most affordable way to do that. If you own a business, we ask you to advertise so we can help you promote your brand.
Despite the challenges, we are excited about the future. Pardon my bad grammar, but we ain’t dead yet. Don’t send that to my former English teachers.
The People-Sentinel has served this community since 1852. With your support, we can keep going for at least another 171 years.
