Editor’s note

The Leader presents the essays of the winners of the League of Women Voters-Jefferson County Essay Contest. Students were asked to write on the topic, “What would your community be like without the news?”

The topic was inspired by a recent League of Women Voters-Washington Consensus Study, “The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy.” Noting that between 2005 and 2020, more than one-quarter of the nation’s newspapers closed, leaving 1,800 communities with no local newspapers, the question prompted the students to consider what their lives would be without the news media that serves Jefferson County.

A world without news. A world of peace, prosperity, simple people going about their simple ways, no constant blabbering of politicians, no fear-mongering. A life where people can regain their sense of community and belonging. 

A world without news. A world of ignorance, ostracism, simple people remaining simple forever, an echo chamber within one’s mind, a fear of the world outside your town. A life where communities cannot come together and instead remain hateful. 

When asked what news is, most will come to the conclusion that it is either politically biased reporting on current events or local affairs. The general public sees news as a divider, something that causes hatred and strife; forcing families and friends apart with politically affiliated nonsense. A constant whine of hatred and anger, causing peaceful peoples to take up arms against imaginary enemies, and creating tension between those who should have no conflicts with one another. But this is only part of the story. 

The term “news” is very broad; it encapsulates so many facets of our lives that many of us cannot even recognize it. News isn’t just politicians droning on about how the opposing party is the antichrist; bringing about the downfall of our society and causing every global, national, local, and personal problem to exist. News is the local paper letting the community know that there will be a fundraiser for extensions to a local accessible playground.

News is reporters revealing the human rights violations taking place in the world, and then showing how to help. News is one of the richest men in the world announcing his plans to donate most of his wealth to charity during his lifetime. News is a magazine showcasing the recent winnings of state sports, telling the tales of the most valuable players with wonder and regard. News is the newest innovation in technology to reduce pollution. News is the world around you. 

Without news, society would become more divided than it already is. We would no longer have stories of those who spend their time working in soup kitchens to feed the poor and homeless. We would live without knowledge of what is happening outside of our communities, let alone the world. No person would have the ability to send support to countries caught in the crosshairs of wars we wouldn’t know about. Those who don’t care for world or national politics wouldn’t be able to talk about the new drama between their favorite pro wrestlers. Scientists would have no way of knowing about new discoveries in their field. Average people would not know of human rights movements happening across the globe, fighting for equality. 

No matter its downfalls, news is ultimately what brings us together; as people and communities. The only possible result of the eradication of news is a life trapped in suffocating darkness, a complete inability to see the true beauty of the outside world; a severing of the ties that bind the human spirit together. True isolation.