Local News

How do you get the news? Perhaps you get most of it from great-aunt Freida who never met a stranger or kept a secret, but for most of us it seems our main source of "news" is now the Internet.

Our recent unscientific poll indicated our readers utilize the following:

Radio - 4%
Newspaper - 12%
Television - 32%
Internet - 52%

Certainly radio, at least in the Shoals, no longer provides a great deal of local reports. The same could be said for television, with the three major affiliates being located in the Huntsville metropolitan area.

Fast breaking news, a home invasion or coach firing, is certainly more easily followed on the Internet. One caveat: Even though I write an Internet column, not all news tidbits posted on the Internet can be verified; therefore, the safest source of news remains the local newspaper.

Newspapers provide a wider variety of stories than are found on the Internet, and have the ability to be stored away for future reading at a more convenient time. I hope that all of us consult all the news sources available to us. I've quoted Dick Biddle before, but his words bear repeating:

Be a good American; be an informed America.


What's up with This: For the readers who asked, yes Holland Elkins' father is Billy Elkins. Billy can't be with his son and family until his release in August 2009. Please pray for all involved in this terrible crime, and remember that children need guidance in order to mature into responsible citizens.