Political Integrity Meets Lower Local Newspaper Postal Rates
Dear Reader,
We must reflect on ourselves. We have witnessed instances where politicians misled or defrauded us, thinking they could escape scrutiny. The original Postal Act of 1792 established low rates for newspapers, ensuring that the public remained informed about current events. However, the Postal System now imposes exorbitant rates on newspapers, making it increasingly challenging to disseminate news.
Some might argue that alternative news sources exist. However, in many areas, this is not the case. As local newspapers shut down, more communities are becoming “news deserts,” lacking a reliable source of local news, which has detrimental consequences, including increased governmental corruption and decreased community cohesion.
Politicians, being human, may sometimes be less than honest, especially when they believe no one is paying attention. However, we must prevent future news deserts because local journalism provides important insights into politicians’ actions and reports on all laws and regulations, including their compensation, salaries, and pensions.
I ask you to support efforts to address the challenges in the Postal System and ensure accessible local news, starting with government mandated lowering of Postal rates for locally mailed newspapers rather than increasing them as they have been doing.
PATRICK J. WOOD
Publisher