An editorial printed about a month ago claimed that with the closing of the Booster, a former Jasper newspaper, nothing would change for the Fitzhugh.

That wasn’t necessarily true. It is true that we won’t start charging for issues, jack up our advertising costs, or necessarily absorb every feature contained in the Booster.

But there is something that will change – the Fitzhugh’s role in the town.

As past Booster editor Peter Glenn said, when a paper lacks competition, community members tend to keep it on its toes when it comes to coverage. 

“I felt that because in a smaller community your readers are so in-tune with what you’re writing and so responsive to what you write that they kept us in check,” Glenn said, of his years working for that paper.

Suddenly, coverage of the town’s news is no longer a shared responsibility. When a topic or event is missed or addressed incorrectly, it all comes down on the Fitzhugh. 

It may sound like a lot of pressure, but writers always perform well under pressure. That’s why we’re committed to not only maintaining but improving our community connectedness.

We have received some constructive criticism recently, which whether we agree or disagree, we always take into account.

It appears some readers were offended by the language that appeared in a Last Word column a few weeks ago.

It was published because the editorial team decided that the words suited the tone and the context of the column, so while we don’t retract anything published, we do apologize to anyone who felt affronted.

Rest assured that nothing goes into the paper without careful consideration and review by all members of the editorial staff, as well as the publisher, who has final say on everything that gets printed.

A great way to bring such an issue to light, however, is to scrawl a note that can be printed in the paper, because if one person has a thought or question, it’s likely there’s at least one other person around who shares that viewpoint.

And that’s just another way to keep the people who bring you your news on their toes.

It’s a small-town newspaper’s responsibility not only to cover the good news – accomplishments and success – but also the “bad” news, or important issues, though the coverage may not always be appreciated.

The loss of he Booster emphasizes the importance of a town’s news coverage. How frustrating would it be if the only way to learn about council meetings, fires, crimes, and minor hockey teams was in the lineup at the grocery store?

At the same time, we understand that we must earn our readers’ trust and respect, and that both those aspects are on the line with every issue we put out.

Though being Jasper’s community newspaper doesn’t necessarily make us an unfiltered medium, we do recognize our role and consider it carefully.

We enjoy working with the community, through the good and the bad, and look forward to doing it for quite some time.