Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom (And Whimsy)

Posted on May 14, 2025 under Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom with no comments yet

Don’t stop the presses

“Extra! Extra! Read all about it!”

This catch phrase was commonly shouted by newsboys in the United States, particularly in the mid-19^th century, to sell special editions or extras of newspapers.

Do local, small-town papers still matter?

You betcha.

I have had a love affair with the printed word, especially newspapers, since delivering the Chronicle-Herald as a young boy. When I first started reading newspapers, I was attracted most to the sports pages which could run anywhere from 4-6 pages back in the good old days. This section would be loaded with stories of sporting events but what I liked most was the statistics. Like most sport nerds, I wanted to know how many home runs and RBI’s Mickey Mantle had so far in the season or who was leading the scoring race in the NHL.

These days, I’m more likely to be checking out the obituaries!

For decades, if not centuries, local weeklies have been the heartbeat of small town Canada. Long before the advent of the internet, this was the most important source for local news. These papers had everything from local politics, news, sports and features, and if you lived in “The Little Vatican” (Antigonish), there was even a full religious section. And yes, the ever-important obituaries where we learned more about our neighbors’ lives than we could have possibly imagined.

Like so many of my generation, we made scrapbooks, often filled with newspaper clippings. I have a drawer full of these clippings.

Slowly, and insidiously, local weeklies started a downward spiral, first through the takeover by conglomerates, and then the arrival of social media news and entertainment platforms and 24-hour cable television.

Our local gem, The Casket, fell victim to these pressures and today is a sad shadow of what it was once upon a time.

However, there are always survivors amongst the worst shipwrecks. The Guysborough Journal is one of them. They have been churning out local news for well over two decades. They have a loyal following and have managed to buck the trends against huge odds.

In a world that seems more connected and disconnected than ever, The Guysborough Journal still stands tall. Yes. We are connected more than we want or need to be but, sadly, we’re more disconnected than ever. Just go to a restaurant or a sporting event and witness 90% of the people with their attention fixed on a screen. Smart, and stupid. Two things can be right at the same time.

The Journal still speaks to its constituents, ordinary folks like you and me. We have a nascent curiosity. We want to know what’s going on in our own backyards.

The Guysborough Journal is not only alive and well, but it is actually planning to expand its coverage. Today, they will be launching a new section of the paper called “Antigonish This Week”, a “paper within a paper”.

I know that many of my loyal readers are excellent writers and story tellers. Maybe you would like to be a contributor to the paper?

If you are not already a subscriber to the Journal, here’s your chance to climb on board.

“Extra! Extra! Read all about it”!

Before I leave you, a quick medical update. I broke my humerus bone 6 weeks ago. No laughing matter! One never knows what they’re missing until it’s gone. I was absolutely thrilled a few weeks back when I was finally able to dress myself from head to toe. Small victories.

We shouldn’t take anything for granted.

Have a great weekend.