Camels. Hot, blinding sunlight. Mirages. Weary travelers hoping for a pool.

That’s a desert. But it’s not the kind of desert we’re talking about. We’re talking about a news desert.

Newspapers are disappearing around the United States. The loss leaves many Americans with little access to reliable local news.

But people have to make many decisions about how they live, work, and vote. Small, local newspapers can help them choose wisely based on real information. A big paper might cover events in a big important city far away. But it can’t always tell citizens what’s happening in their neighborhoods, towns, and counties.

Questions a local paper can help with:

Who are your town’s school board candidates? Mayoral candidates?

How should your small community spend money?

How should your town build and take care of parks, schools, roads, and emergencies?

Citizens of a news desert often cannot make these decisions in an informed way. Besides, if small papers die, who’ll cover events like Sauerkraut Days or an American Legion card shower? (Yep, those are actual Iowa events.)

Of course, there is only one perfect source for truth. Wise newsreaders compare every report against God’s word. (John 17:17)

Editor’s Note:

Newspapers connect people. They can even help lonely folks feel less alone. Have you ever thought of starting a newspaper for neighbors on your street? Get out your reporter’s notebook and give it a try! Maybe other kids in your neighborhood could help.

I started a tiny newspaper once as a teenager. I called it the Towlesville Tablet. I interviewed my neighbors and wrote about graduations, crop harvests, and new people who had moved in. I included art and poetry.

The Towlesville Tablet didn’t last long. But it taught me a lot about interviewing, printing, delivering, and layout. (Layout is the way words and images are arranged on a page.)

—Chelsea Boes in Asheville, North Carolina