It goes without being said that the landscape of news and media has changed drastically over the past two decades or so. A big question has become more important than ever: What do you expect to be in your local newspaper?

The answers to this drive decisions at The Tribune and should do the same at virtually every other newspaper in the country.

But it is always good to ask again from time to time.

Everyone knows that the Internet has been a game changer on every aspect of seeking information. The rise of 24-hour cable news channels has had a huge impact in how and where we seek news. Traditional media including newspapers, television and radio have had to diversify what they offer and how they offer it.

At The Tribune we try to take a hyper-local approach — a buzz phrase that popped up a few years ago — to ensure our readers know what is going on in Lawrence County and other things important to their lives.

That often means that state, national and world news gets little or no attention. That doesn’t mean we do not think that these things are important, but with limited space and resources, we simply choose to take the local approach.

Other than the biggest of stories, we often only include a minimal amount of non-local news.

The idea is that we want to focus on what we do best — local news — and our belief is that very few people turn to The Tribune for these other items.

But maybe we are mistaken.

It’s always interesting to hear directly from readers about their views on news and what is important to them.

Do you look toward our paper for this? If you’re not a regular reader would you subscribe if this content was included? Do you want just the high points? Would you like to see it eliminated entirely with more focus on local news?

From time to time someone will tell me, “There’s nothing in The Tribune.”

Of course I disagree with that. Our staff works hard every day to find stories to inform, educate and entertain our readers. We are always trying to improve and do more though.

So, tell me, what are we missing?

The Tribune and its predecessors have been serving Lawrence County for more than 150 years and want to be for the next 150. We believe that our local approach is the answer to that, but it ultimately comes down to what you — the reader — wants to see in your newspaper.

 

Michael Caldwell is publisher of The Tribune. To reach him, call (740) 532-1445 ext. 24 or by e-mail at mike.caldwell@irontontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeCaldwell_IT.