By the time most of you read this, I’ll be back in town from a three-day golf trip to Breezy Point, courtesy of my son. He had won the trip on, of all things, a radio station promotion. So I was happy to enjoy a few days of golf, fine eats and an adult beverage or two on a radio station’s dime.
Over the past 35 years in the newspaper business, first in Worthington, then Redwood Falls, and now here in Luverne, I always enjoyed a great working relationship with the local radio station.
With the onslaught of social media outlets, the mainstay of community journalism and information and the coverage that both the local newspaper and radio station have provided for decades is often minimized.
I can’t tell you how good I felt about my industry this past graduation season as Mary and I attended graduation receptions here and in Adrian.
At every reception there were pictures and highlight of the graduates’ years in school. Their diploma was front and center on display, surrounded by pictures. The pictures in many cases were from the first day of school to their last. There were medals, trophies and certificates of achievement of one sort or another — and in every case on the memory table there were newspaper clippings to document those accomplishments. No social media post, no tweets of any kind — just good old-fashioned newspaper clippings.
So thanks to the Redwood Falls radio station for the golf trip, and thank you to the parents who still appreciate the role newspapers fill in documenting their children’s school years.