To the editor:

After unsuccessful attempts to get a new crosswalk sign installed at a very dangerous crosswalk, a letter published in the Bristol Phoenix got almost immediate results with the installation of a highly visible new sign. This got me thinking about the value of local newspapers and their critical role in a community. Their role as a government watchdog reporting on local events, reporting on corruption or by informing the public on important issues that will educate citizens so that they can make informed decisions at the voting booth is critical. Their role in highlighting community achievements, keeping an archival record of events in our town or by increasing civil engagement is also very important. So many small towns across the country have lost their local newspapers due to a loss of advertising revenue or corporate decisions. Your decision to buy the paper at a store or to have a subscription helps to keep local newspapers alive as does your decision to advertise with them helps them keep the lights on.

As important as it is for local and statewide newspapers to do their job, it is even more important for national news outlets to be able to do their jobs. The recent decision by President Trump to ban CNN, MSNOW and Politico from access to the White House should send shivers to every American. This is right from the authoritarian’s handbook and must be stopped before it is too late to save our democracy.

Bob Chew
Bristol