When I was a little kid, I didn’t really understand what newspapers were. All I knew was that once my dad was done with it, I would get to read the funnies. Somewhere along the way, through the advent of the internet, newspaper sales began to drop massively.
One of the newspapers that I had grown up with wasn’t as prominent as it once was. You can imagine my elation when I found out it had been bought out last year.
It has been nice to see a newspaper that I grew up with once again gain traction in the community. Local newspapers are one of the last forms of getting necessary information to the people in today’s day and age and a way for people to engage in the dialogue as a community. I am, however, slightly weary of the direction these articles seem to be going.
It is no secret that Centralia leans more to the right than they do the left, and it is worrisome to me that a newspaper is showing a bias to this side without allowing a dialogue to form. The propping of Lewis County Sirens, the anti-vaxx apologia, the focus on sports (and no other extra-curricular activities) infrastructure, are all reminiscent of 20th century tabloids.
The advent of the internet was a beautiful thing. Especially for those who grew up side by side with its development. We had the answer to any question we had, right at our fingertips. We watched the world change in real time. But while other countries capitalized on this new source of education to leap forward into the 21st century, we watched America get left behind in infrastructure by the rest of the world.
We watched the middle class get decimated. One of my main qualms with the way we are approaching issues is that we are stuck in a 20th century mode of thinking. The idea that none of our ideals can be challenged is ridiculous. The only way we can grow is to challenge our ideas. But I don’t see that happening. All I see is a newspaper who is talking to a dying generation who will have no readers once the old guard is out and the new is in.
We need to start having conversations on what is going on today.
You have a responsibility as a newspaper, to the people. Do better.
Mario Barrios
Centralia
