Commentary

“May you live in interesting times” is an ancient curse that has
been repeated and translated down through time. In some instances
it has been transferred into a blessing of sorts.
Whichever the case, to both live in interesting times and also
have to report on them as a newspaper must sound like a double
curse.
While we, at The Healdsburg Tribune, continue to report on our
schools and local government budget woes, loss of jobs, housing
foreclosures and the overall poor economy, we also must live
through it. Newspapers are facing some very tough business
challenges these days, in case you haven’t yet heard.
This happens to be National Newspaper Week (Oct. 3-9) and we’re
eager to take the opportunity to offer a look back over the history
of the Tribune, as well as cast an eye toward its future.
The annual celebration allows us to mark the occasion by
applauding our dedicated newspaper staff and our many regular
contributors. Above all else, we also wish to express our gratitude
to our many readers, community partners and our advertisers.
The Healdsburg Tribune (Enterprise & Scimitar) has been
printed every week since 1865, a beginning before electricity and
when Sonoma County was all open land with the very early beginnings
of a great agricultural industry.
The Tribune’s weekly pages have been the place where townfolk
and nearby neighbors have always looked for a summary of current
local events, commentary, announcements and printed conversations.
Whether it be in times of the railroad and telegraph or in current
days dominated by satellite TV, emails and smart phones, a local
newspaper still seems the best way to stay connected to one’s
community in a meaningful and useful way.
The newspaper industry has faced many other significant
challenges through the years, but few have proved as “disruptive”
and confusing as have the current waves of new communication
technology and overload of information resources.
Through it all, the mission of the Tribune and its journalists
has changed very little, if at all. The mission here is to present
factual and trustworthy local news and to provide an open and
honest public forum for everyone, and not just a selected few.
In these pages is where the community has always looked to stay
connected to one another. The Tribune is the single most
comprehensive resource for information and issues that impact
neighborhoods, property, taxes, public safety, environmental
concerns and the local economy.
Healdsburg’s newspaper is locally owned by a small family
business led by longtime publisher Rollie Atkinson, who first
joined the Tribune staff in 1982. Kerrie Lindecker is the managing
editor of the newspaper and leads a small dedicated staff and many
regular contributors.
While larger daily newspapers across America are reeling from
the many cultural changes in how most people find and consume their
news, the picture is quite different at the smaller Tribune. Here,
we are pleased to report the spirit, support and business health of
your community newspaper is just fine. With our combined print and
on-line web site readership, the local Healdsburg newspaper has
never had so many regular readers.
Less than 20 years ago, the newspaper staff here chronicled the
weekly happenings of Healdsburg with typewriters, clunky
typesetting machines and cameras that used film.
Today, changing events and our news reports, all happen at a
much faster pace. The newspaper production is now all digital,
except for the actual printing of the newspaper. We can post a
breaking news story or digital photo on our web site (hbgtrib.com)
minutes after an actual event takes place.
Such speed, rapid change and large amounts of available
information can sometimes offer as much confusion as enlightenment.
While the tools and technology has changed at our newspaper, our
journalistic mission remains the same.
Publishing a community newspaper for everyone’s use and access
is a distinct public trust. We do not take our journalistic
responsibilities lightly.
Again, we thank you, our many readers. It’s your collective
story that makes each week’s Tribune so great.
Rollie Atkinson is the publisher of The Healdsburg Tribune.