At the heart of a small-town community newspaper is the hard copy newspaper that has been around for decades. Over time, picking up a newspaper to browse with a cup of coffee has become a tradition. Is it changing? Yes, people's attention is pulled in multiple ways more-so than it was 50 or 60 years ago. Do people still care about what is going on in their world: locally, statewide and nationally? The hope is that they do, which is why a newspaper's print product must provide truthful and fair content through an appealing and eye-catching design presentation. For the majority of community newspapers, the print newspaper is its core product. If its quality declines, the community's respect and belief in the newspaper will also decline. The newspaper's social media and website presence can only be as strong as the content it provides. If the content isn't there, a domino effect will most likely occur.

​

The Plan: Try new design ideas. Ditch features, ads and sections that aren't working. Ask your community what they are interested in and what they are passionate about. Have regular conversations with staff members about what is and isn't working. Be open minded to change. Strive to be the independent and trusted voice in the community. While web and social media are important, remember where the core content is being published. Mold it into something that readers will find value in, something that you as an ethical and honest journalist are proud of. There is a lot of noise in today's media including the demands on journalists. Work to tune out some of that noise specifically in the newsroom. Remind staff regularly, daily even, of what the newspaper's role is, why it is important and how important their role is.

​

“So the two searchlights restlessly play across the landscape. One is the searchlight of the media looking for anything that will attract the attention of an audience. The other is the searchlight of the audience members scanning a cluttered and intrusive environment for something that seems important enough to attend to” (Fuller, 2010, p. 70).

​

"Despite dire predictions that print is dead, it’s still the backbone of many community dailies and weeklies nationwide."  Sharon Knolle, Despite 'Doom and Gloom' Community Newspapers are Growing Stronger.