Why it's more important than ever to read local news (Part 1)

I was picking up my reading glasses from Clements Vision Care in Sun Prairie’s Prairie Lakes shopping area on Monday and it hit me.

How can people advocate for buying locally when they’re not reading locally?

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, a new Buy Local effort has resurfaced. Dining in local restaurants, buying flowers from local florists, purchasing jewelry from local jewelers, and buying clothing from local t-shirt and clothing stores, etc. are all part of the effort.

It all makes sense, especially when you consider the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates consumers will spend a record?$25.8 billion — or $185.81 per person — on Valentine’s Day in 2024.

But as I perused the legal notices, another thought occurred to me. It was right after I read the legal notice for a proposed water and sewer rate increase for the Village of Cottage Grove (anywhere from 22 to 24% for average users; message me if you want to see the notice).

You know that when the bill arrives in the mail for that rate increase that folks in Cottage Grove will say they never heard anything about it. I heard it for years when I covered local government.

My thought: How can people truly be interested in supporting local businesses if they’re not reading locally?

I’ve bemoaned the profit-driven nature of local newspapers before, but they’ve got a tough job. Most newspapers have dwindling staffs, soaring debt and ad rates, and have smaller page counts than ever before as a result.?

In the coming days, I’ll examine how local newspapers can improve.?

But I will also explain why it’s the responsibility of news consumers to want to read local newspapers to become vigilant local citizens.?

The author worked as managing editor for the Sun Prairie (WI) Star for 33-plus years until 2023, and currently works as a freelance writer for the Middleton Times-Tribune. He currently is the Chief Innovation Officer for his company, 608 Beacon Enterprises LLC; learn more online at www.608beaconenterprisesllc.com.