Category: General

Local news starts with the right reporter, one who looks and listens to the community. That has become a problem. The community no longer controls the news; the papers control the community.

There are basically four recognized news providers in the area: the Martinsville Bulletin, StarNews, The Henry County Enterprise, and Cardinal News. Facebook is the unofficial news agency driven by people who want to shout out. Some government officials use Facebook to say what they can't say officially.

The Marrinsville Bulletin is the oldest newspaper. It once was a real community paper, but was taken over by Lee Enterprises. Now, their newspaper no longer represents the community. Their prime, or maybe their only, local reporter is Bill Wyatt, who has often shown his favor for the community where he lives. There have been allegations that Wyatt does not interview politicians he does not personally like. Based on his reporting, they need to change the name to the Mulberry Gaze and turn the paper into just a community journal.

Then there is StarNews, which is basically a Facebook broadcaster. This Facebook live provider is led by Charles Roark, owner and operator. If you want gossip and just straight-out attacks on individuals, tune in to his StarNews cable channel. When he reports national news, he resorts to Fox and Newsmax, which reflect the kind of audience he attracts.

The Henry County Enterprise is the closest to community news. They do report on local people and events. They also provide a Letters to the Editor column, which other newspapers no longer offer for community members to share their opinions. Their reports provide unbiased news on local government activities. They provide mostly facts, free of personal bias.

The Cardinal News is somewher in the neutral category. They do provide unbiased editorial opinions, unlike Bill Wyatt's weekly opinion column, where the Bulletin gives him a chance to express his opinion. Still, his opinions continue to fall short because of his biased beliefs.

The residents of Marinsville and Henry County desire better reporters, not ones controlled by their editors and owners.

At one time, local newspapers were owned by private companies, and news represented the local community. The times have changed, and most newspapers are owned by conglomerates that set the news cycle in line with the companies' beliefs and political influence.

Due to ownership changes, newsrooms now have fewer reporters and editors who are less connected to local issues. This leads to limited, sometimes biased coverage, restricting the stories that get told.

In Virginia, Lee Enterprises owns most of the major newspapers. They link newspapers to cities: Richmond, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Roanoke, Danville, Martinsville, and six other locations. The Florida billionaire David Hoffmann, who controls Lee Enterprises, recently said he wants to save local newspapers. This contradicts his takeover of Virginia newspapers, where, because of him, they have lost their community focus.

Community members are often excluded from public forums, forcing them to rely on social media to participate in local discussions. For this reason, rural areas must manage their own media and decide what issues matter most. Independent journalism should therefore become a central focus in rural communities.