Navigating the modern news environment is a challenge, even for the most engaged citizens. Federal headlines dominate so much of the mainstream news we consume, constantly highlighting the deep partisanship, hostility and dysfunctionality that now feel inherent to political life in the United States.

I’m sure we’ve all struggled with some combination of outrage, apathy and powerlessness walking away from the morning news or our social media feeds. Those feelings, as natural as they may be, are rarely constructive. They leave us little reason to meaningfully engage with those around us – to build a sense of community rooted in shared understanding.

The Gorham Times is, to me, an oasis in this landscape. It’s a space to learn about our neighbors and what brings them together, from GHS arts and athletics to Baxter Library programs and Lions Club events. It’s a space to learn about the teachers, firefighters, public servants and volunteers who care for our community unconditionally and, often, thanklessly. It’s a space to learn about, and hold accountable, the prospective and elected public officials charged with representing our best interests in state and local government.

Despite the invaluable community asset they represent, small news outlets like the Gorham Times are increasingly shuttering their doors. The explosion of digital media has left many newspapers with falling readership and rising costs, resulting in the loss of more than 3,200 print newspapers nationwide since 2005.

Maine is no exception to that national trend. Recent years have seen a consolidation of regional and local papers under the Maine Trust for Local News, now the state’s largest media company. Last year, the Trust cut its workforce by 13%, reduced publishing frequency across outlets and eliminated print versions of many local papers.
I see this progressive erosion of local news in Maine, within and beyond the Trust, as a very real threat to meaningful civic engagement and robust democracy. For our democratic system to function as intended, voters need to understand what public officials stand for – and how they act, or fail to act, on the values they preach. Without easy access to this information, elected officials lose accountability, and voters lose agency. Local newspapers provide a critical line of communication and transparency through columns like this and routine reporting on town council and school board meetings.

Local papers also have an important role to play in fostering community cohesion. They ask us to know our neighbors – to celebrate their state championship wins, to attend their theater productions and to mourn the loss of their loved ones. These local stories transcend our many points of difference, and without them, more divisive narratives take center stage. News bites online lock us in information siloes that deepen polarization by validating our preconceptions, never asking us to see beyond our own worldview.

I am deeply grateful for the unquantifiable good the Gorham Times does for our community. My ask today is simple: keep reading. Even when punchier headlines vie for your attention, and even when you disagree. We will all be better citizens, advocates and neighbors for it.