Congratulations to Editor and Publisher Steve Blank along with reporters Rose Weldon, Robert Perlez and the rest of your colleagues concerning “Blank Slate honored at newspaper contest” (Rose Weldon — April 16).
Daily newspapers concentrate on international, Washington, Albany, NYC, business and sports stories. They have few reporters assigned to cover local neighborhood news stories. These reporters have to compete against colleagues for limited available print space. As a result, daily newspapers miss significant news and political stories from Great Neck, Manhasset, Plandome, Port Washington, Roslyn, New Hyde Park, Albertson and Williston Park.
Weekly newspapers based in Great Neck, such as our own Great Neck News and neighborly competitor – the Great Neck Record, provide more in-depth coverage of local news not found in Newsday, The New York Times, Post, Daily News or AM Metro New York.
We continue to be fortunate to live in one of the few remaining free societies, with a wealth of information sources available. Sadly, most American cities and suburbs are down to one local daily or weekly newspaper. Newspapers have to deal with increasing costs for newsprint, delivery and distribution along with reduced advertising revenues and declining readership.
I continue to be grateful that Blank Slate Media along with other daily and weekly newspapers afford me an opportunity to express my views as well as differing opinions. Thanks to you, ordinary citizens have the freedom to comment on the actions and legislation of elected officials. Public officials use taxpayers dollars to promote their views via mass mailings of newsletters, news releases, letters to the editor and guest opinion page columns. In many cases, they are produced or written by campaign or office staffers who are paid for by taxpayers. The rest of us have limited time to submit a letter.
Let us thank those few brave souls who are willing to take on the establishment and powerful special interest groups in the pages of your letters to the editor section. You are kind enough to allocate more space than virtually all other daily and weekly newspapers for readers to submit letters to the editor.
Please join me along with your neighbors who read Blank Slate Media publications. Patronize their advertisers; they provide the revenues necessary to keep them in business. Let them know you saw their ad. This is what helps keep our neighbors employed, the local economy growing and provide space for your favorite or not so favorite letter writers.
Larry Penner
Long time reader and Letter to the Editor contributor for decades
Great Neck
