“In lieu of flowers, subscribe to a newspaper.

              “Or a news service.

              “Or make a donation to either of the above.”

              That’s what I’m thinking of asking my family to put at the end of my obituary.

              Not that I’m planning to need an obituary any time soon, but it has occurred to me that my children, who could be writing it, might not know everything I want mentioned, including how I’d want to direct any gifts someone might consider making in my memory.

              For a big chunk of my life, I’ve been involved in projects that don’t bring in a lot of money.

              An art gallery. A newspaper. Raising children.

              Each are passion projects for those involved, and each make the world a better place, but each sometimes need financial help from outside the system.

              Parenting goes without explaining. I am tremendously grateful to my husband for the long hours and hard work he put in that made it possible for me to dedicate so many years to my part of that endeavor.

              Art and journalism were next.

              “Earth without art is just ‘Eh,’” said the graphic on my artist friend’s T-shirt. It’s a play on the letters in the word and it’s true for the world.

              And even though many artists need a day job to keep going, they continue to bring out what’s inside them and we are all better for it.

              And then there’s news.

              We absolutely, completely, truly need news in our lives.

              We need to know what’s happening down the street, what’s happening over the weekend, what’s happening with our water supply, with our police department, in our schools, with our leaders, in other countries.

              When I am visiting a new place, I look to find a newspaper so I can know where the concerts are, what the issues are, what the locals are saying and doing.

              When I hear of an accident or a fire or a shooting, I wait anxiously for the rest of the story to appear on a news website from a source what can make the right calls and pass along the full story.

              Freedom of the press is one of the foundational principles included in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

              That’s because people need information to take the right actions. And they get that information from a news source.

              We are blessed with abundant news sources. And thanks to them, we know what’s happening in Israel and in Iceland and in Florida and in Logan.

              But those sources have to be funded.

My subscription to an online news aggregator service provides me with stories from news outlets all over the country – and some throughout the world. It’s the best $10 that I spend every month. Local subscriptions provide news that matters locally, where journalism is especially vulnerable.

              That newspapers are losing staff and closing is a serious threat to our communities. Someone needs to tell us what the city councils and the school boards are doing. And those on the city councils and the school boards need to know that someone is watching – and reporting on – their discussions and decisions.

Same with national and world news.  

Equally as alarming is the charge of “fake news” by those who don’t like what is reported. Or the harm inherent in only watching news that is reported with one bias or another.

Information from a variety of news sources that have reporters and sources where things are happening, that have a proven track record of accuracy and present a variety of opinions and admit when they make mistakes, is vital to a free and functioning democracy.

We need to support legitimate news outlets by watching and reading, by subscribing or by donating.

It’s an investment in our future. And our freedoms.

Our Founding Fathers did what they could to ensure it.

Now it’s up to us.

This column appeared in the Davis Journal of Davis County, Utah, in July 2024.