“Nobody reads the newspaper anymore.” 

This statement continually haunts journalists like me. I heard it again the other day and jokingly in another matter. Just so we can get the obvious out of the way, many people believe digital media such as computers and cell phones are supposedly pushing newspapers out the door. 

However, the newspaper, namely the Sequim Gazette, is an extension of those media and vice-versa. 

You might be reading this via Facebook, on our website, on a cell phone, or on an iPad, but those are extensions of our news system. We provide you content whether it be for free or not. 

One of our staff updates any one of those from a phone or computer to get you information instantaneously. 

You may not be reading the physical newspaper, but you are probably reading the newspaper 2.0.

News doesn’t just appear. Rumors and photos can circulate, but when a legitimate news source and journalists confirm information, then it has a different meaning. 

In Sequim, details are consistently updated and eventually refined for the print product each Wednesday, but a well-informed community is a smart community. That’s why we post verifiable information as soon as we can. 

Local commitment

Sometimes when I meet someone and tell him/her what I do, the person might immediately apologize for not subscribing. This person will admit to reading the Gazette on a phone or watching news on TV. 

Chances are high that Sequim’s news is not on TV and any local news people find on their phone is funneled through us or the Peninsula Daily News. 

In a rural area like ours, community newspapers remain relevant because larger news outlets don’t have the resources to have pilot offices anymore or as often. 

It’s not a matter of competition but commitment. 

The Sequim Gazette remains a local staff that is invested in Sequim. We live here. We love it here. And we care about the news and its consequences for all of us. We’re proud of our newspaper.

Find your support level

Since I began at the Gazette, our letters to the editor section has been hit-or-miss with submissions. Typically the political season is a perfect platform for back and forth, but recently we’ve made the jump to include comments from our website in the print edition. 

We recognize what’s convenient and want to create a place for people to express opinions while still supporting our print product. 

Obviously, not all of our Facebook subscribers are print subscribers. 

We guess many readers always will be print-only, like myself, but we’ve invested a lot of time in the social networking site and we’re seeing people follow our news who might not otherwise pick up a newspaper. 

"Liking" our Facebook page, bookmarking our website, and/or following us on Twitter is the first stop, but your participation in a newspaper is essential. 

Consider liking a story we post, sharing a story, buying a copy of the paper at the newsstand, subscribing, writing a letter to the editor, commenting on a story, advertising a garage sale, whatever! 

To continue doing what we do, those methods mentioned above ensure we remain a part of providing you local and relevant news. 

Sequim is so much more than the occasional major news story Seattle outlets give it once every few months. 

Step up and share, discuss, communicate, send me brownies, and be proud of where you live.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.