A unifying force

The times they are a’changing, and nowhere is that more true than the media world.
How you get your fix of news and information is different for many than it was a few years ago, but the connection provided by that conduit of insight, detail and reaction to local news of the day is every bit as vital as it was yesteryear, if not more so.
There has been a lot of chatter in recent years about the pending death of print journalism. Despite the very real consequences of the shrinking traditional sources of community news, Americans remain hungry for reliable, accurate local news and information, according to a 2023 study conducted for America’s Newspapers.
The study by Coda Ventures found that eight out of 10 Americans still get news and information from local print or digital sources every month. The survey included a nationally representative sample of 5,000 respondents.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents said a local newspaper is important, and 43 percent said local newspapers or their websites are the most accurate source of news and information.
“Local news is critical to the well-being of a community,” the study’s authors wrote.
The Aurora News-Register joins thousands of publications across the land that remain committed to covering the communities they serve, and we celebrate that cause during National Newspaper Week.
Fact is, readership remains strong for your News-Register, though the format readers and viewers get their ANR fix has changed for many in recent years. More and more people get their weekly publication online with our e-edition format, and a whole new generation of younger readers, and people of all ages for that matter, are using their phones for quick and easy access to breaking news, feature stories and video highlights from their hometown and/or school. 
Consider a two-minute video featuring two senior Huskies, posted within minutes after Friday night’s football win over Minden. That video was viewed more than 1,500 times on Twitter (X) and reached many more eyeballs on Facebook, Instagram and the ANR website, all long before the printed version of Husky game coverage hit the press. It’s the local content that matters, in other words, not the format. 
In fact, it matters not to us whether you prefer the printed edition in your favorite chair or the digital version on your computer or phone, but it is important you know that local, relevant news is available to you here in Hamilton County.
That simply would not be possible without loyal readers and advertisers supporting this newspaper, and as co-publisher I thank you for that shared partnership.
With politics and social media dividing our nation in so many ways, this independently-owned local newspaper remains committed to keeping our finger on the pulse of our community, your community, providing objective news coverage from local sources. We’re all about local, local, local — a time-tested news formula for what people care about most.
Kurt Johnson