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You might not have noticed – because we aren’t the best at tooting our own horns – but America’s newspapers have been celebrated this past week.

Sunday, Oct. 6, marked the beginning of the 84^th annual National Newspaper Week, a week-long promotion of the newspaper industry in the United States and Canada.

And for organizations that specialize in telling others’ stories – from businesses to our brightest young scholars – we’re not always good about telling our own story.

But we should be.

Newspapers – and in this case I mean news organizations that originated with printed editions and are adapting to digital, magazine, video and other formats – are as vital to our communities today as ever.

In an age filled with instant access to information – and disinformation – it’s not always easy to know where to find credible, reliable and valuable news and information. Community-based newspapers like The Democrat, which has been in print since the late 1800s, have spent generations building a deep trust among our readers and an ever deeper understanding our community, both its strengths and opportunities. We have told the stories of generations of residents, from births to deaths; weddings to elections; sports achievements to business accolades.

We have invested in the Miss-Lou and its success, through support of local non-profits; key partnerships with Natchez Inc., Visit Natchez, Chambers of Commerce and our local educational systems; and through the sweat equity of our staff members who participate in community organizations from the Kiwanis to Rotary to Leadership Natchez. We live here; we work here; we serve here.

In 2023, American Newspapers commissioned a nationwide Local News study, aimed at measuring and evaluating the impact local newspaper organizations have in their communities.

The results aren’t surprising:

• Newspapers deliver news your way. Eight out of 10 Americans read print or digitally accessed newspaper content every month.
• Newspaper readers are community leaders. Among newspaper readers, 87 percent feel they have a responsibility to help shape the future of their communities.
• Communities depend on local newspapers and their digital outlets. Studies show 1 out of 2 Americans – 50% of us – read or access information from their local newspaper every month.
• Every generation reads newspapers, either in print or online. From Gen Z to the Silent Gen, every generation consumes newspaper content. Newspapers have evolved to deliver news your way.
• Newspapers connect communities. Nearly two-thirds, or 74%, of Americans believe it is important to have a local newspaper. Newspapers define the culture of a community.
• Newspaper readers determine elections. Almost 8 out of 10 newspaper readers vote in national and state elections.

Our experiences here reinforce those national statistics. Our work is just as vital to the Miss-Lou as it was 20, 50 or 75 years ago, and our readers are telling us that every day. In the past two years, The Democrat’s readership has increased more than 28 percent thanks to digital subscription growth and our focused development as a multimedia company. Our digital platforms allow us to adapt to the changing ways our readers get news and information, without sacrificing the trust or credibility we’ve built over the past 150-plus years. And we thank you for embracing that.

We continue to tell the stories of our business community – from the small-business owners who are willing to invest their money and their heart into the community to the industries and retail developments that can make a significant impact in our economy. We are the forum for sharing your questions and concerns, whether about the potential development of an oilfield waste landfill to the closing of a shelter for victims of domestic abuse. We are your voice in public meetings and forums, questioning our government and civic leaders and holding them accountable to the voters and the taxpayers. We are your champions and your conscience.

And, when we do our jobs well, telling your stories becomes our story.

Stacy Graning is publisher of The Democrat. Email her at stacy.graning@natchezdemocrat.com.