Why are there so many Springhill stories in the Minden Press-Herald?
You may have pondered this question during the past couple of weeks as our coverage of the north end of the parish has increased.
The shortest answer to that question is, “that’s what we are supposed to do.”
The Minden Press-Herald is the official journal for the Webster Parish Police Jury, the Webster Parish School Board, and others throughout the parish. As such, it is our duty to reach as many people within Webster Parish as possible.
In order to be of value to readers, local news is a must. So we have taken very deliberate steps to bring in a correspondent who is not only a great reporter but an integral part of the north Webster community. We are proud to have Maria Gonzalez as part of our Press-Herald family.
Let me be clear: coverage of north Webster Parish is “in addition to,” not, “in place of,” coverage of news in Minden and the immediate vicinity.
In addition, we want to be the voice for the entire parish, helping the economy grow by providing timely information, along with marketing opportunities for local businesses. The growth of business in Webster Parish, whether north or south, is good for all of us.
As we continue down the path of covering the entire parish, there will be more stories from towns like Cullen, Sarepta, Shongaloo, and Cotton Valley. We are also increasing our efforts to cover more news in Sibley, Dubberly, Doyline, and Dixie Inn.
While these are great aspirations, we cannot do it alone. We need to be informed so that we can spread the word to others. We ask our readers to help keep us in the loop by sending news and items of interest to newsroom@press-herald.com.
We will do our best to get the information into the most pertinent edition of the Press-Herald, as soon as possible. If it is important to you, it is important to us.
Our commitment to Minden has not waivered either. This increased coverage will help our hometown. By having a reason to subscribe to the Press-Herald, readers in north Webster Parish will be exposed to all the offerings of Minden, from festivals to furniture sales.
Some of our northern neighbors already come to town to dine and shop. How many more can we get to stay in the parish instead of venturing to Shreveport or Magnolia?
Our north Webster neighbors may be football rivals, but they are still a part of “us.” We need to be one parish, and hopefully this commitment and expansion will be a great step in that direction.
We truly are the newspaper for all of Webster Parish. Now, we plan to act like it.
David Specht is editor and publisher of the Minden Press-Herald.