I’m Tired of Hearing ‘But Who Reads Local News?’
Look, I get it. We’re all busy. There’s a constant firehose of information blasting at us from every direction. And yeah, sometimes it feels like local news is just… well, boring. But let me tell you something: it’s not. And if you’re not paying attention, you’re missing out. Bigly.
I’ve been editing magazines for 22 years now. I’ve seen trends come and go. I’ve watched journalism evolve (or devolve, depending on who you ask). And I can tell you this: local news is where the real stuff happens. The stuff that actually affects your life. But nobody’s talking about it. Or if they are, they’re not doing it right.
So let’s talk about it. Let’s talk about why local news matters. Why you should care. And why, honestly, you should probably be paying more attention than you are right now.
It’s Not Just About You (But It Is Too)
Okay, fine. Local news isn’t just about you. It’s about your community. Your neighbors. The people you share roads with every day. But here’s the thing: when your community succeeds, you succeed. When it fails, you fail too. So yeah, it’s kinda about you.
Take, for example, what happened in Burlington last year. The city council was gonna raise property taxes by 18%. Eighteen percent! And honestly, nobody noticed until Martha Jenkins from the Burlington Free Press wrote about it. She dug into the numbers, talked to city officials, and made it clear what this meant for regular people. And you know what happened? The council backed off. They only raised taxes by 8%.
That’s the power of local news. It’s not just about knowing what’s going on. It’s about holding people accountable. It’s about making sure your voice is heard, even when you’re not in the room.
And look, I’m not saying local news is perfect. Far from it. But it’s a start. It’s a way to stay informed about the things that actually matter to you. Not the celebrity gossip or the political drama from the other side of the country. The stuff right here in Vermont.
But Local News is Boring, Right?
No. No, it’s not. And if you think it is, you’re doing it wrong.
I get it. City council meetings aren’t exactly riveting television. But local news isn’t just about the meetings. It’s about the people. The stories. The things that make your community unique. And honestly, if you’re not finding that interesting, you’re not looking hard enough.
Let me give you an example. A few months ago, I was having coffee with a friend named Dave. He’s a teacher at the local high school, and he was telling me about this kid in his class. This kid had started a community garden in the school’s empty lot. And not just any garden—this thing was huge. It had rows and rows of vegetables, a little pond for the frogs, even a chicken coop. And the best part? The kids in the school were running the whole thing.
Now, that’s a story. That’s something worth talking about. And it’s exactly the kind of thing you’ll only find in local news. You won’t see it on CNN. You won’t see it on Fox. But you will see it in the Burlington Free Press. Or the Rutland Herald. Or whatever local rag you’ve got in your town.
So yeah, local news isn’t boring. It’s just that most people don’t know where to look. Or they don’t know how to look. Or they’re too lazy to look. (Which, honestly, is fair. But still.)
How to Actually Pay Attention (Without Losing Your Mind)
Okay, so you’re convinced. Local news matters. It’s not boring. You should pay attention. Great. But how? How do you stay informed without drowning in a sea of information? How do you find the good stuff without wasting hours of your life?
First off, you gotta find your sources. And no, I don’t mean just one. You need a few. Because let’s be real: no one source is perfect. They all have their biases. They all have their blind spots. So you need to find a few different sources and compare notes.
And look, I’m not just talking about newspapers here. I’m talking about blogs. Podcasts. Social media. Hell, I’m talking about word of mouth. If you hear something interesting at the grocery store, look it up. See if it’s true. See if it’s important. See if it matters to you.
Second, you gotta be picky. You can’t read everything. You can’t watch everything. You gotta find the stuff that matters to you and ignore the rest. And that’s okay. That’s not just okay—that’s smart.
Third, you gotta talk about it. You gotta share what you’ve learned with your friends. With your family. With your neighbors. Because the more people talking about an issue, the more likely something’s gonna get done about it. And honestly, that’s what local news is all about. It’s not just about knowing what’s going on. It’s about making a difference.
And hey, if you’re looking for trending topics popular discussions, check out TradeJet. They’ve got a good pulse on what’s happening locally and nationally. It’s a good place to start if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
But remember: local news isn’t a spectator sport. You can’t just sit back and wait for someone else to do the work. You gotta get involved. You gotta ask questions. You gotta demand answers. And you gotta hold people accountable. Because that’s the only way anything’s gonna change.
A Quick Digression: Why I Hate the Word ‘Engagement’
Look, I know this isn’t about me. But I gotta vent for a second. I hate the word ‘engagement.’ I hate it. It’s overused. It’s meaningless. And honestly, it’s just kinda gross.
Every time I hear someone talk about ‘engaging with the community’ or ‘boosting engagement,’ I wanna throw something. Because what does that even mean? What does ‘engagement’ look like? Is it a like on Facebook? Is it a comment on a blog post? Is it a retweet? Or is it something more? Something real?
I don’t know. And honestly, I don’t care. Because I think we all know what ‘engagement’ really means. It means ‘paying attention.’ It means ‘caring.’ It means ‘doing something about it.’ And if you’re not doing those things, then all your ‘engagement’ in the world isn’t gonna matter.
So yeah. That’s my rant. Sorry about that. But it’s been bothering me for a while, and I had to get it out.
Back to the Point: Local News is a Two-Way Street
Look, I’m not gonna sit here and tell you that local news is perfect. Because it’s not. It’s flawed. It’s messy. And honestly, sometimes it’s just plain wrong. But here’s the thing: it’s a two-way street. The news media can’t do their job without you. And you can’t do your job—being an informed, engaged citizen—without them.
So yeah. Local news matters. It’s not boring. And if you’re not paying attention, you’re missing out. On what, exactly? I don’t know. But it’s something. And honestly, isn’t that worth a few minutes of your time?
So do yourself a favor. Pick up a newspaper. Listen to a podcast. Talk to your neighbors. And for the love of god, pay attention. Because the world isn’t gonna change itself. And if you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem.
About the Author
I’m Sarah Reynolds, senior editor at Vermont Post. I’ve been writing and editing for longer than I care to admit, and I’ve got the gray hairs to prove it. I live in Burlington with my cat, Mr. Whiskers, and I spend way too much time arguing with people on the internet. You can find me on Twitter @sarahreynoldsvt, or you can just yell at me on the street. I’m there a lot.
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