In Athens, newspapers do not just share news. They question how an entire region can be led, from the front cover to our backyard. Local newspapers are necessary components of Appalachia, but The Post’s long-standing legacy cannot last if news coverage does not consistently serve all its readers, including those in the region.
As more people turn to social media to receive their news, it would seem local news stations are less important. After all, they continue to fall into corporate conglomerates or complete abandonment. This creates news deserts, which are regions with few newspaper publications and little original news coverage.
In fact, the Athens Messenger is the only newspaper not led by students that consistently publishes content in Athens County. The Athens News, a former publication in Athens County, recently shut down after Paul Reynolds, the Adams Multimedia regional president, attributed the paper’s decline to fewer advertisement sales.
Yet, local newspapers are often critical outlets for local goings-on. Many of those papers list local, free events, creating a consistent platform families can rely on for information. Especially as November’s election season approaches, news deserts often leave voters open to misinformation because they turn to unreliable sources online.
Additionally, fewer people are paying attention to local news, especially local newspapers. For example, the percentage of U.S. adults who often or sometimes read a daily newspaper declined from 43% in 2018 to 36% in 2025.
This problem creates fractured frameworks, making it hard to share critical information about issues, local events and resources. It also limits how often people interact, creating entire towns where residents have no obligation to work with each other or build lasting relationships. In the long run, the absence of newspapers damages the responsibility that we have to better ourselves and our surroundings.
Newspapers create an ample environment to tie people across geographic areas, especially since the Appalachian region’s steep hills and low valleys make it difficult to create a consistent high-speed internet connection. By preserving physical, shareable media, local newspapers offer alternatives to media otherwise hidden behind paywalls or subscriptions.
This is also important with the rise of news appearing on social media. Even though about half of U.S. adults said they at least sometimes get news from social media, newspapers like The Post provide something Facebook simply cannot replace: direct involvement and social obligation.
In all, a newspaper is a physical manual for engaging critically with the rest of the world. As such, a newspaper has ethical guidelines to meet the needs of its audience.
It’s The Post’s mission to provide rapid, professional news coverage free from outside editorial control. Although we welcome local opinion, no outside interest can control Athens’s access to the truth or trust in reliable access to information.
This is particularly important in the fight to create informed voters, citizens and neighbors. People require timely and well-researched information in the voting booth, but good information goes much farther.
In a region historically split between students, struggles and survival, Appalachia’s story of resilience deserves to be told with dignity. Local newspapers push us to analyze our surroundings and evaluate how small actions truly have outcomes for others. In short, reading the paper grounds us in a reality that is directly tied to our personal actions.
While geographic and digital challenges split local collaboration, newspapers act as the glue to bring people together. Within the Appalachian region, print and broadcast journalism can prove to be critical lifelines in the face of adversity.
It would be easy to say that this is a particularly challenging time for newspapers, the First Amendment or journalism in general. Yet, reading this paper and others in the region encourages independent thinking and collective action.
After all, there will always be a challenge to telling the truth when the truth challenges the most powerful. Thank you for reading The Post; we look forward to this year of independent journalism.
The Post editorials are independent of the publication’s news coverage. Have thoughts? The Post can be reached via editor@thepostathens.com.
