South Bend News Guild hosts call to action, 'Save Local News'

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A South Bend staple since 1872, the local newspaper, the South Bend Tribune, is trying to stay afloat in the digital age and corporate leadership.

“In recent years, we’ve seen a real decline in resources and it’s troubling,” says Joseph Dits, a member of the South Bend News Guild and reporter at the South Bend Tribune.

It’s not just an issue in South Bend, newspapers across the nation are on the decline.

A newsroom that was once filled with over 50 journalists who pumped out 20 local stories a day, has now diminished to 14 in total.

“We’re already a newspaper without a photographer, we don’t want to be a newspaper without writers,” says another Tribune and News Guild member, Gayle Bell.

The loss has made it hard to provide readers with just the city’s leading headlines, let alone the in-depth reporting it’s known for.

“With a newspaper, you can provide more nuanced coverage,” Dits explains. “More details, and it gets you deeper into the story to understand how the community works.”

Wednesday’s ‘Save Local News’ summit gave insight from local leaders in business, culture, and the arts on how print media contributes to a thriving society. 

They say a city without a newspaper is a sign of a society not being involved in itself.

Long-time journalists at the Tribune also gave personal testimonies, sharing the impacts the newspaper has on our society that are widely unnoticed.

The South Bend News Guild hopes spreading awareness of their concern for local news will get the community inspired.

“We want to make the community aware of what’s going on, and maybe through community support, try to find some solutions,” hopes Bell.

You can visit the South Bend News Guild website for more information on their cause, and how you can help save local news.