Appreciation for Herald staff’s efforts

Re: “Newspapers remain source of ‘real’ news,” Lethbridge Herald, Oct. 3.

The call to support print media in this article is critical in these times. Visual media, which I lost interest in long ago, has become one more of slanting and concocting news kowtowing to advertisers, political concerns etc., often the broadcaster becoming an entertainer, a star; think Cronkite south of 49 or Mansbridge this side.

In Lethbridge we are extremely fortunate to have trusted news land in our inbox or on our step seven days a week (rare today — most are six) collected and then crafted into a newspaper by whom I judge to be some of the finest people remaining in the business today. The Roasted and Toasted and commentary/opinion features where anyone can publically state an opinion is, in my experiences, a very rare gift in print or any other media. These two items alone require a ton of effort to assemble and keep respectful. I recognize this heartily.

My interactions with some of the folks at The Herald have been most pleasing and memorable. There are numerous problems in every city and Lethbridge has its share, but the local paper isn’t one of them. In my books the Lethbridge Herald’s daily content stands out markedly above many I read regularly. During National Newspaper Week, let us stop for a moment, reflect on the professional quality of our local paper, perhaps even dropping a note to a favourite writer, an award-winning photographer or the entire crew telling them how much you appreciate the effort they put into each issue.

Professionals in the print media are becoming an extinct species, and the ones remaining in this tough business deserve every minute of respect they’ve earned the week of Oct. 1-7 set aside to honour their craft.

Alvin W. Shier

Lethbridge