While we can’t speak to the long-term viability of our big-city cousins in the newspaper business, we can tell you with confidence that your hometown paper is in fine shape.

An annual audit of our readership, mandated by the United States Postal Service, was printed in last week’s Leader and it shows our readership is strong.

That’s because, with few exceptions, if you want to read about Port Townsend, Port Ludlow, Port Hadlock, Chimacum, Quilcene, Brinnon and areas in between, there’s one credible source that leaves the others in the dust.

And it’s the same source that your grandparents trusted, and perhaps their grandparents, too.

We enjoy a pretty simple business model at this newspaper, and it is predicated on providing credible news, entertainment and information to our readers.

Unlike our big-city cousins, who probably have shareholders to worry about, this newspaper is family owned, and those owners put you, the reader, first.

And because you (and thousands of other readers) pay a few bits each week to learn what’s new in this community, we can sell advertising to the reputable businesses that want to reach all those readers.

Since our first priority is to you, and this being National Newspaper Week, we’d like to let you know that we see ourselves as caregivers of this franchise that you call your newspaper.

Which is as it should be – the $1 you pay each week for this paper allows us to work on your behalf for a responsible and open government that serves its citizens.

We also like to think of ourselves as protectors of not just the public’s interest as a whole, but also of the individual. The press, when used honestly, is a strong voice in the face of a bully.

All told, the revenue we receive from readers buying this newspaper is a fraction of what it takes to produce it. So, we solicit advertising from businesses mostly near (and a few far) to pay the bills. In turn, those businesses help support the newspaper in providing you with information, and they also can help you make smart purchasing decisions locally.

We hope that you’ll look to our advertisers in these pages and consider spending your money with them.

This community would not exist without these businesses, and we encourage you to consider that before your next click on Amazon.

And thank you, dear reader, for your continued loyalty. We know it’s been earned by those you’ve entrusted to care for this newspaper, and we will endeavor to keep earning your trust.

— The Leader