Tim Wiederaenders, Prescott News Network
Original Published: Jan 17, 2023 1:26 PM
“Sunlight is said to be the best disinfectant.”
That’s what Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis wrote in a Harper’s Weekly article in 1913, and nothing shines a brighter light on government than newspapers.
However, some want to keep people in the dark. So newspapers have to fight to be like the lamplighters of old.
Advertisements are for everyone
For many years, the Arizona legislature floated a proposal to eliminate advertisements from newspapers. The latest is from Senator John Kavanaugh of Fountain Hills. SB 1006, for example, allows cities and towns to post notices only on their websites.
But in areas like Prescott, where the median age is approaching 60 (almost 55 for all of Yavapai County), many people don’t have internet. About 32% of Arizona’s residents, or her 2.4 million people, have no internet connection at home or anywhere else, according to Microsoft.
Even if you did, you would be unlikely to search those sites even if you stumbled across notifications that affect them.
Especially since many newspaper editors and reporters comb through advertisements for article ideas, readers are much more likely to come across an appropriate notice in a newspaper, either in print or online. This included notices about bars opening near preschools, requests for rezoning to place cemeteries across from residential areas, and requests for permission to pump millions of gallons of water from local aquifers. may include mining companies that , unique new businesses coming to town, and more.
The government has created public notice requirements to avoid the impression of backroom deals and shady bidding. Printed notices are irrevocable and perpetually verifiable. Governments should not be in the business of disseminating advertisements. Many officials at all levels of government are hesitant to even respond to regular public records requests.
If your government is allowed to handle its own notices, be prepared for the hassle, delays, and hefty “administrative costs” of researching and printing ad copy.
Also, with so many local government scandals in the past few years (think Bell, California and Flint, Michigan), there’s no reason to believe public officials can police themselves. What makes it easier for governments to operate in the dark?
Transparency
Citizen interests can be better protected by making independent oversight agencies part of the public notice process. The newspaper will ensure that notices are issued correctly in accordance with the legally required timetable and will provide an affidavit certifying issuance. Newspapers or media outlets nationwide, including Arizona, offer free access to aggregated notices published by state newspapers. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent to launch these sites and improve the technology for both archiving and searching notifications. And above all? It doesn’t cost the government a cent.
Politicians say they are helping create jobs in local small businesses and the private sector. But many direct and indirect jobs would be lost if they took the adverts out of the newspaper ads. Worse, the financial impact could put local newspapers out of business, turning communities into even more news deserts. And if the government takes over this private-sector business, they will have to increase labor and expenses to do what newspapers are already doing well.
yes, there is a charge
These advertisements are an important source of income for newspapers. But this valuable service is not a government subsidy. Our advertisers do a good job of advertising to both the government and the general public. Much lower than the rates offered mainly. Not only do we help keep governments in the light with notices, newspapers help bring communities together by covering local news, including humanitarian stories about neighbors, civic events and more. .
who can price it?
Placing advertisements in newspapers is part of the system of checks and balances that we have built our country on. Call the light shining where it is most needed.
Please let our state legislators, city councils, and county boards know that appropriating a public notice is a terrible idea.
Editor, prescott news network
Email: twieds@prescottaz.com
twitter @TWieds_editor
