As we enter the new year, we’re reminded of our purpose and our place in the community.
Nutfield Publishing – which publishes the Londonderry Times, Nutfield News and Tri-Town Times – takes pride in offering the most comprehensive source for community news in each of our five towns. And our readers tell us they appreciate our providing the most complete local information to their homes every week – free.
How does a free paper work? We depend on our advertisers. You would not be reading this without them – nor would you have the in-depth coverage of your town government, photos of your neighbors helping out in the community, or detailed recaps of school sports without them. The more advertising we have, the more news you get. Wonder why sometimes your paper is 16 pages, sometimes 24? It all depends on advertising.
If you enjoy this newspaper, we hope you will thank our advertisers for their support. If a place you visit for coffee, for lumber, for hair styling, or for legal services is not advertising, suggest they do. And if they say nobody reads the paper, you know better and can help educate them.
It’s easy to say nobody reads newspapers, but that’s just parroting people who have no idea what local news is or where to find it. Businesses frequently ask us to publish articles – and all news is free – praising the business and its services. But when that same business is approached about advertising, the response is often that no one reads the paper.
Can’t have it both ways. Without advertising, we can’t exist. And without advertising in a product that local people read and keep around, the business remains unknown. So it’s a win-win when a business advertises – its services are highlighted, and you get news of your community.
Don’t take our advice. Listen to Warren Buffett, who has been investing in community newspapers that provide local coverage. He was quoted by Dan Ritter on Jan. 4 in the Wall St. Cheat Sheet of USA Today as saying, “If you want to know what’s going on in your town — whether the news is about the mayor or taxes or high school football — there is no substitute for a local newspaper that is doing its job. …Wherever there is a pervasive sense of community, a paper that serves the special informational needs of that community will remain indispensable to a significant portion of its residents.”
Buying locally supports your neighbors’ businesses, rather than boosting the profits of impersonal corporations in another state or on another continent who think of you only in terms of profit. When your neighbors’ businesses thrive, your community thrives. And we’re your neighbors.