The Official Newspaper for Foster County

Protecting the public's right to know

Publishing public notices is our civic duty as newspapers. From the Abstract of Votes that officially reports the results of a recent election (as published in the Transcript this week, page B3, and in the Independent on page 7), to the minutes of city, county and school board meetings, we dedicate on average a full page per week or more to protecting the public’s right to know by publishing these important community messages.

You may have read articles and editorials stating that newspapers are not well financially, and some have pointed out that the US has lost over 2,000 newspapers since 2004 (most of them publish weekly, like we do).

Northwestern University released a report on Wednesday, as I was writing this column, noting that from the pre-pandemic months of late 2019 to the end of May 2022, more than 360 newspapers have closed. Some surviving newspapers have severely cut staff and circulation due to financial pressure.

I’m happy to say that here in Foster and Eddy County, and throughout North Dakota, newspapers are holding their own. In fact, we at Transcript Publishing have actually increased our news staff since I purchased the Transcript seven years ago. When I first started in 2015, we had a freelance sports reporter and a part-time news writer. Now, we have a full-time reporter dedicated to local news and sports, as well as another full-time staffer who covers sports and local events as well as does page layout and many other tasks as assigned.

In Foster County, we have similar staff. Erik Gjovik has covered news and sports on a full-time basis for 13 years, and Leasa Lura covers the city council and county commission happenings, as well as brings you the “Around the State” recap of news directly from other newspapers throughout the state.

I also report local news, as well as cover the Carrington School Board and New Rockford City Commission. This column, as well as the Carrington School beat, was something I inherited from Mr. Allen Stock. He recently received an award from the Carrington School District for providing 45 years of coverage to Independent readers.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because I want to demonstrate that your local newspaper prides itself on being a true community partner. We support the community, and the community returns its support by reading and advertising.

Other columnists who have written about newspapers have urged mayors and other public officials to “help newspapers survive,” recently.

Mr. Mayor Erdmann and Mr. Commission President Stu Richter, here’s how you can help the local newspaper.

In upcoming legislative sessions, when bills are introduced that aim to reduce the number of “Public Notices” published in local newspapers, I ask for you to stand up for us. Although these proposals might be packaged as a way to reduce the costs of government (and we know you all love cost savings), they definitely are not.

In fact, newspaper publishers have done the math several times over the years, and we find that in almost all communities the cost of publishing public notices (that’s your minutes, Election Notices, and Requests for Bids), use up a fraction of one percent of your local government budget. That’s a very small price to pay to keep your constituents informed of your activities and initiatives, and at the same time it’s actually a huge financial benefit to us local newspapers.

Newspapers provide a service, i.e. the publication of notices, that so far is unmatched by other media. Our readership, in print and online, encompasses 86 percent of adults, according to a recent survey of North Dakota residents.

Further, newspapers have permanence. Once a notice is printed, there is a permanent record of it available to readers. And I don’t mean just a printed copy. State law requires that all public notices printed in newspapers also must be available on a statewide website. If you want to see any public notices printed in North Dakota newspapers, go to http://ndpublicnotices.newzgroup.com/.

Also per state law, a copy of every newspaper published in the state must be archived by the State Historical Society of North Dakota. They not only have printed copies that fill an enormous room lined with tall shelves, but they also preserve each issue on microfilm. That means if anyone wants to see what the primary election results were in 1910, they need to look no further than the local newspaper.

Parting shot: When it comes time to vote for an official newspaper, or decide whether to publish the minutes of the school board in the local paper, we appreciate your “yes” vote. It not only protects your right to know, but it also keeps newspapers a viable part of the community.