Someone recently said to me that there’s not much news in Howard County.
I smiled and recalled the year 2011 when I founded Guilford Gazette. Originally, the eight-page newspaper was intended for only one community. Beginning with great enthusiasm and confidence, I suddenly panicked, thinking, “Oh my gosh, what have I done? There probably isn’t enough news to fill these eight pages!”
As it turned out, there was more than enough news – just in Guilford. Initially, we covered the local NAACP Youth Council. There, we found tremendously positive features. There was also a History Spotlight where we shared the rich history of the area. We covered award-winning teachers and principals, high school sports and theatrical productions.
But we also had hard news. On the zoning front, an absolutely sweet and innocent article turned a small redevelopment project into a bust. Local outrage killed the project. Route One redevelopment was also a big focus.
We brought something to Guilford and later, Savage, North Laurel, Jessup and King Contrivance that they never had before – hyper-local community news.
There was never a scramble for news. There is information in every community waiting to be unearthed by reporters. Sadly, newspapers are dying or struggling to stay alive. During the this news drought, residents missed the critical information they needed to make informed decisions.
With some out-of-the-box thinking, a new plan was hatched. With new funding ideas, a stronger corporate organization and a high level of community involvement, there would be a permanent news organization based in and for Howard County, Maryland.
The Guilford Gazette newspaper became a web only entity with expanded coverage that did not quite meet the needs of all county residents. Under the new plan, Guilford Gazette will return to its hyper-local roots and the new Howard Courier will accept the daunting task of providing full coverage of Howard County news and events.
With this new venture, there is no panic attack waiting in the wings. There’s plenty of news here. For three years I have been getting request from residents to bring full coverage to include investigative reporting. The sentiment was that too many decisions were beng made within government without a full vetting by news organizations.
I would like to say to everyone who made the request, the wait is almost over.
We (Howard Countians) need to stay informed – not just on the facts that surround us, but we also need good analyses to help us digest decisions being made on our behalf.
For instance, those concerned with crime need more than daily statistics. People want to know about police and judicial follow-through. What happened to the car jack suspect? Is he still on the street? Were charges pressed? For those who get arraigned, what happens next?
Followers of news ought to be able to follow a story from beginning to end.
There is news in Howard County and plenty of it. Let’s work together to covert the “wait is almost over” to “the wait is over.”
Maryland Newspapers LLC needs your help to return Guilford Gazette to its original mission and bring forth the new Howard Courier.
Take time now to explore the DONATION page to discover what a few dollars will do to move our county forward.
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