I read yesterday yet another report on the demise of a small-town newspaper. The Burlington, Iowa Hawk Eye was acquired by a publishing giant in a 2016 merger and in just five years the staff has been reduced by 90 percent, the printing moved to a facility 100 miles away and the local newspaper building put up for sale. The paper still gets printed six days a week but the local news stories are now few and far between. Everyone in the town knows the paper is dying. They even stopped archiving each edition in bound copies at the Burlington Public Library in 2019, after over a century of doing so, thereby providing an easily searched town history.
Yes, there is a Facebook group devoted to town news, but it in no way substitutes; much of the “content” there is rumors about new businesses that never come to town or the latest community gossip, much of it false. No article on the annual Teddy Bear Picnic at Crapo Park. No more record of school board votes. Or obituaries.
By the way, Burlington’s population is 23,000 and change. Remind you of any place you know?
Another frequent criticism of the Hawk Eye: that its news coverage is biased. It’s either too conservative or not nearly conservative enough. Maybe that sounds familiar, too.
Reminded me that I read (and learn from) most of Ben Shapiro’s columns that appear in The Dispatch even though I strongly disagree with almost every argument he makes — but only because The Dispatch prints it. Otherwise, I would never even see one, let alone read it. Just one example of how, in my view, The Dispatch editorial staff bend over backwards to print columns with a balance of perspectives — and how I benefit from that effort.
Me, I’m damn glad that we have this paper and that they do such a good job of providing excellent local news along with also keeping us up to date on state and national levels. I had no idea what was going on in this town until I began my subscription a decade or so ago — but I sure do now. We are extraordinarily fortunate the paper still thrives and, even more, that Slim Smith is consistently willing to put his views on the table whether you or I like them or not.
I sincerely hope folks in this town don’t take The Dispatch for granted — irrespective of your view on the balance of their news coverage. We’d sure miss it if we found ourselves in the same situation as the citizens of Burlington, Iowa.
Paul Mack
Columbus
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