Editorial: Local news deserves your support during NH Gives

Tuesday marks the start of NH Gives, New Hampshire's statewide day of giving.

Over the next two days, thousands of Granite Staters will support causes they care deeply about. They'll give to organizations working on housing, education, healthcare, the arts, environmental protection, youth programs, animal welfare, and countless other efforts that make our communities stronger.

We hope they'll consider local news, too.

At first glance, journalism may seem different from many of the causes people support during NH Gives. But in reality, local news sits at the center of nearly everything else we care about.

Whether your passion is affordable housing, strong schools, public health, economic development, clean water, public safety, or helping neighbors in need, meaningful progress begins with information.

People need to know what's happening in their communities. They need to understand local decisions, learn about challenges and opportunities, discover resources that can help them, and hear the stories of the people around them.

That's the role local news plays.

Local journalism helps residents understand how tax dollars are spent. It helps people navigate elections and public policy. It introduces us to community organizations making a difference. It highlights problems that need attention and solutions worth exploring. It celebrates successes and asks tough questions when accountability is needed.

In short, local news helps communities see themselves clearly.

But local news doesn't happen on its own.

Behind every story is time, expertise, and a commitment to serving the public. In communities across the country, local news organizations are struggling to continue that work as traditional business models change. Some communities have lost local news entirely.

New Hampshire has taken a different approach.

Across our state, local news organizations are working together in new ways to strengthen journalism, expand access to information, train future reporters, and better serve the communities they cover. We believe local news is not just a product. It is community infrastructure.

Like libraries. Like schools. Like public spaces where people gather and share information.

And like those institutions, it requires community support.

That's why we're participating in NH Gives.

This year, you can choose to support The Laconia Daily Sun directly, helping us continue our work serving our community. You can also choose to support the Community News Fund, which helps strengthen local journalism across New Hampshire through reporting, training, innovation, and community engagement.

Either way, your gift is an investment in something larger than a single organization.

It's an investment in informed communities.

It's an investment in civic participation.

It's an investment in accountability.

It's an investment in neighbors having access to reliable information about the places they call home.

Tuesday and Wednesday, as you consider the causes that matter most to you, we hope you'll remember that every cause depends on people having access to trustworthy information.

That's why local news matters.

And that's why local news deserves your support.

Give today