Column: Democracy in your hands, Why reading the newspaper helps strengthen our society

Every time you pick up the Daily Egyptian, you are ultimately strengthening our democracy. The newspaper you hold in your hands is the work of journalists committed to bringing you the information you need to be a valued member of your community.

 Knowledge – information – is power in a democracy. The more you know, the better citizen you can be. And you are one of many. The publication of the news, on any platform, is about the collective power of informed people, sharing a vision of what their community can be.

The journalists behind the Daily Egyptian (and other newspapers, broadcasts and websites), wear down their shoe leather tracking leads, doing interviews, filing information requests, gathering data and more to bring you stories from all perspectives. That, along with paper, ink and printing expenses, costs money.  The press, the provider of information so necessary in a democracy, is not free.

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 Fortunately, businesses in our community see the value in the newspaper and pay to advertise their goods and services, largely funding the journalism that fuels our freedoms. When you flip through the pages of the Daily Egyptian, or scroll through the website, you see these ads, which gives the companies reason to buy more. It’s a positive feedback loop.

 So, thank you for picking up and reading this edition (or checking us out online). We invite you to become a frequent reader and hope you will recognize what that simple act contributes to the complex process of keeping our nation free.

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