A prime example: Global news through a local lens is as simple as The News being there at the end of your driveway.
The News is marking 145 years of existence this month.
Earlier this August, we put the call out to you to send in any feedback you had from your experiences with your local newspaper.
We want to hear about a story we produced that really resonated with you, or one that drove you to action.
We want to hear about your family featuring heavily in the pages of The News across generations, or whether you have worked with us in the past and have a funny story to share.
And of course, we are all human and we all make mistakes, so we also want to hear about the times when you picked up the paper and thought, “what’s going on here?”
It’s all part of the rich tapestry of history, and we want to share and celebrate it with you this month.
The News prides itself on delivering stories for the Greater Shepparton community — and beyond — that are not only relevant and engaging, but help that loyal audience understand global events through a local lens.
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For 145 years this publication has been writing about the global events that are happening on our collective doorstep here in the Goulburn Valley.
From the Spanish flu to wars near and far — and everything in between — The News has been there to cut through the noise and provide the Shepparton community with the facts and analysis it needs most.
Clearly, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a prime example of that.
Call it recency bias if you will, but I believe that this ongoing event of global significance has been covered in The News like no saga before it — and not only because the internet wasn’t around in 1919 for the influenza epidemic of the time.
When I think of international news on a local scale, my mind turns to Anzac Day commemorations in 2020 as a visual example of what I am trying to describe.
With the pandemic still fresh and uncertainty at an all-time high in the community, residents, as well as The News, needed a new way to mark the dawn breaking on April 25.
It was as simple as standing to attention at the end of your driveway, but it was just as impactful in its delivery.
But a hyper-local focus does not mean this publication can’t make waves at a high level.
Prompted in part by our 145-year celebrations — and also because I’m a sucker for spending hours with my head in an archive — I’ve been trawling through many past editions of The News.
Something that caught my eye in the National Library of Australia archives was a letter from Prime Minister William Morris Hughes, addressed to the editor of the Shepparton News, in February 1916.
Return mail: Prime Minister William Hughes sent a letter to The News in 1916.
Mr Hughes was responding to a call out for his thoughts on whether the Shepparton Shire Council should borrow 12,000 pounds to build a Shire Hall.
Judging by his response, the Prime Minister was sitting on the fence — but you can forgive him for having other things on his mind at the time.
A bob each way: Prime Minister William Hughes was in favour of the expenditure, but understanding of the delay.
I look forward to hearing from you about your experiences with The News — send me an email at tyler.maher@mmg.com.au or give me a call on 5820 3228.
