-Isms: Original views on life from rural America

Interesting question our office has received on more than one occasion: Why does SAM sometimes run articles from other areas of Nebraska?

The answer is relatively simple. We are Nebraska. I like to think our readers want to learn more about this place we call home. When we share articles from Flatwater free press or Nebraska Examiner or Nebraska News Service, our goal is to offer coverage that is not only interesting, but may have an impact on our lives. For example, on Page 3 in this week’s edition, we share a story about the drought and its effects on farmers and ranchers. It’s a topic we’ve written about previously (Sept. 24, 2020 edition). This summer, we revisited it in the newsroom and added it to our ever-growing list of ideas. The NNS story includes information from northeast Nebraska, so we elected to share it.

Primarily, we provide hyperlocal news from the Summerland region. We highlight our neighbors and the joys and tribulations we face. It doesn’t matter if it’s coverage about a fire, a village board meeting or a personal story about someone’s cookie jar collection or adopting a shelter animal. Local newspapers cover local news.

The mission of a newspaper is to provide trustworthy content that’s relevant to the communities it serves. While we like to break news stories, we are conscientious about investigating and gathering facts before we rush to share information in the print edition or via social media channels. Providing factual content is, and always will be, our top priority.

As our office celebrates the power of newspapers during National Newspaper Week, we believe in this year’s focus: Thank you for reading. Thank you for supporting. Thank you for engaging. We are grateful for your continued support and encourage you to share our work or interact with us on social media.

We believe quality journalism will always have a place in our communities and we share our thanks to each of you who choose to read and interact with the content we provide.

We believe it is our responsibility to serve as a watchdog on government entities. It’s the basis of journalism and we believe in the rights afforded a free and independent press.

We are an independent newsroom and make editorial decisions without outside influence. While we listen to our readers’ comments and concerns, we do not let opinion sway our decisions.

As we report news, we work within the parameters of the law. We stay behind the scenes, when appropriate, while gathering news, ensuring we minimize harm. By doing this, we are still able to capture the essence of the full story.

As a news organization, we will follow our expected standards of journalistic conduct so we continue to be a credible source of news.

Each day this week, we are sharing #newspaperpower on our social channels. We encourage you to share our message as we highlight the individual personality of the communities we serve and showcase the uniqueness of each.

Happy reading.