The Death of Our Hometown Papers

When I recently complained to a friend about the lack of coverage in our hometown newspaper, he told me it was our generation’s fault. I let that sit with me, as I’m accustomed to things being the fault of the Baby Boomers or failed policies, but as I sat, it resonated with me that our local paper is gone because my own generation was too quick to gravitate toward free news online. 

The fallout from the loss of hometown newspapers is tremendous. No longer is there someone attending every waterboard meeting or meetings on the County Development plans (or lack thereof), attending with rapt attention and a history of understanding at every meeting of the school boards in our area. And, without these people, we’ve lost the voices that sounded the alarm when unusual events happened at these meetings or when community interest was warranted. 

Speaking with a former newspaperman from the South Bend Tribune recently, we reminisced about the big, thick Sunday editions of the newspaper. We talked about how real stories were gathered and collected from ‘bureaus’ across the state and the nation, and how local journalists truly covered events. 

I recently read Beth Macy’s 2025 book, Paper Girl, an autobiographical history of the loss of the local paper in her hometown and the subsequent loss of knowing one another and of our nation. This work, published by Penguin Random House, chronicles the loss of so much in America, but most importantly, the loss of America because we no longer have real articles, substantive news, and a means to discuss with our neighbors and our politicians due to the loss of the local or regional newspapers and so much more. 

I would love to see more people take an interest in something and do more than write a critical comment; rather, make thoughtful suggestions for our region and area through articles and opinion pieces of their own. I suspect there are plenty of places online to post those pieces. I bet that we can help restore conversation with one another if only we choose to read, think, share, and respond to one another with civility.

Brian S. Collier, Ph.D.

Columnist

Born and raised in South Bend, Indiana, Collier is a graduate of South Bend public schools. Collier taught high school for four years before earning a Ph.D., then taught college in Arizona, Michigan, and Indiana. He is now again teaching high school locally.

Collier signed on to serve on the editorial board and as an occasional contributor to Redress, hoping to help provide a liberal perspective on issues in his hometown and the region. While local 'liberals' may not feel heard, Collier feels like both parties are so far from where they were when he was a child that they wouldn't possibly recognize their modern iterations.

Collier feels strongly that South Bend lacks actual leadership, shows cowardice, and prioritizes conveniences and business interests over citizen needs, and is a proxy for petty vendettas and a lack of real, sustainable policy. Collier fears for the future of St. Joseph County, Michiana, and America, and the very real chance that the American experiment ends during his lifetime due to partisan nonsense and the public's inability to even see other perspectives.