Can something be shocking and unsurprising at the same time? That was my reaction to a survey released last week by the Pew Research Center that found 85% of respondents consider local news extremely important, very important or somewhat important, yet only 15% had subscribed or donated to a local news outlet in the past year.

Let that sink in for a minute. Even through the vast majority of people say they value local news — and 71% said they believe their local media are doing a good job of reporting the news accurately — only 15% were willing to pay for it.

Part of that is our own fault. Thirty years ago, when the internet was just starting to become an integral part of most Americans’ lives, newspapers rushed to join the feeding frenzy, hoping to maintain our dominance of the  news media landscape in this new digital golden age by putting all our content online — for free.

We could afford to do it in those days, when print media still commanded a large share of advertising dollars and most people were still regular newspaper readers. But both advertisers and readers have been lured away by other “news platforms” — few of which offer the same level of quality journalism and community connection that the local paper can provide.

And now that we’ve reached the point where we really need people to pay for our product online as well as in print, we’ve trained a generation of news consumers to believe that hey, if it’s on the internet, it should be free.

Sadly, that’s not the case. It costs money to keep the wheels of journalism turning, to pay the salaries of reporters, editors and photographers who gather the news, turn it into readable stories, make sure those stories are as fair and accurate as we can make them and distribute the whole package to the public, in print and online.

Something else the Pew study found: Most people don’t realize that local news media are struggling financially. But a report released last year by the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University found that, since 2005, this country has lost more than 2,900 newspapers and 43,000 journalists, leaving many communities with no reliable source of local news. No one wants that to happen in their town, but it is happening — with horrifying regularity.

I realize I’m preaching to the choir here. If you’re reading this newsletter, chances are good you’re already a print or digital subscriber to the Blue Mountain Eagle, and for that you have our sincere appreciation. 

But if you truly value local news and you don’t already have a subscription, now is a great time to get started. Our current offer gets you six months of the Eagle online — with everything that appears in the print edition plus a whole lot more — for just a dollar a week. 

If you’re already a subscriber but you know someone who isn’t, forward this newsletter to their inbox with a polite suggestion that maybe they could start doing their part to keep their local newspaper afloat. 

There’s a big red “subscribe now” button at the bottom of this newsletter. Click on it to see the details of our latest subscription offer — and start supporting your local newspaper. 

And thanks for reading.

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Having trouble accessing the Blue Mountain Eagle online? We can help. We want you to get full value out of your Eagle subscription, and that includes seamless access to our website and our cellphone app.

We know that navigating online platforms can be tricky, but our office manager, Alix Hand, is a whiz at this stuff, and she’s available two days a week to provide our subscribers with in-person assistance. Stop by our office at 195 N. Canyon Blvd. in John Day during business hours on Wednesday or Friday and let Alix help you get connected. For best results, bring your smartphone, laptop or tablet with you.

There’s also an online directory of help videos to show you how to activate your account, log in to the e-Edition and more at https://eomediagroup.com/docs. If you have problems, our customer service center is full of nice people who can help you — call them at 800-781-3214 or send an email to support@eomediagroup.com.

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As always, if you have comments or questions about the Eagle, or want to pass along a story idea, send me an email at this address: editor@bmeagle.com.

— Bennett Hall, Editor