I don't think enough people are aware of what the newspaper actually represents, let alone what the news of the day may be. There's a certain type of person who is getting their news from the paper. That is to say that with the advent of news apps, YouTube and quick alerts, you've gotta be dedicated to still be flipping through the pages. I've only actually physically met one of the Beacon News journalists, but I've been an avid reader of the work of many for years. Recently, the Beacon celebrated 175 years of delivering the news. Did you ever think that there would never be a Beacon News?
A hedge fund called Alden Global Capital recently closed its $633 million purchase of Tribune publishing. Those familiar with its history have taken note of the shells & husks of newsrooms its left in its wake. So much so that the Beacon headline "Local news needs a local savior" spurred me, moved me and compelled me to write. I've been a fan of Denise Crosby's work for many many years. I read anything she writes and after reading her column I was both motivated and also sad. More determined than anything though; sadness and despondency are not shirts I wear often. My resolve increased with the amount of words I read.
If the Tribune goes away so do many other newspapers and news outlets. Many a journalist has expressed their dismay on Twitter and I've been following the story as well. It would be a blow to Chicago and Aurora if the Tribune and (and by extension) the Beacon were to cease the news. For many, like me, decades of nostalgia would come flooding back like so much pent up dam-water; decades of memories. My 9 year Metra commute has always included the Tribune, either going into or coming from the city. From the death of Joey "The Clown" Lombardo, Robert "Yummy" Sandifer, and the events of 9/11. If you're a Chicagoan its been "the 'Trib", if you're an Aurora its been "the Beacon". But all that might come to an end.
So what then? What happens if the Tribune or Beacon go away; what will happen to the local news? Well I'll tell you what will happen: it'll continue. That's what will happen.
We, Good Morning Aurora, will ensure that the local news and all of its intimacies will be available, no ifs, ands or buts. We're live on Facebook Monday thru Friday starting at 8 am and that will not change. If we're not reporting on it we will; if it's important to people and will improve their knowledge or tangible condition we'll speak on it. The local news will not stop, we promise you, our reader/viewer that. Now there aren't obituaries or home auctions that we will be injecting as we wax poetic over blueberry muffins, so THAT won't be happening. But local news isn't going anywhere. We're here. Good Morning Aurora simply will not let that happen. When I saw that title, that article, that headline, I took it seriously.
In a way, it almost feels like a duty. It feels like a responsibility to serve people, to enlighten and to educate. We have been reading and following along since childhood. The efforts of the writers, journalists and reporters shall have not been in vain. We will save the local news. One year down, 174 more to go.
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