To the editor:
James Madison once wrote that “a popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both.”
He wrote those words in 1822. More than two centuries later, they still hold up. As Marblehead residents, we spend a lot of time talking about the health of our schools, our town government, our roads and our public services. But one of the most important institutions in our community is one we often take for granted: local journalism.
The months leading up to the June 9 election showed just how important it can be. Whatever side of the Proposition 2 1⁄2 override questions you were on, most of us agreed on one thing: the issues were complicated. Understanding them took more than yard signs, mailers and Facebook posts. It required facts, context and reporting. That is the role of local journalism in a democracy. It doesn’t tell people what to think. It gives them the information they need to think for themselves. It asks hard questions, verifies claims and provides a common set of facts from which a community can have productive disagreements.
As a resident, I found myself turning regularly to the Marblehead Current‘s reporting to better understand the questions facing voters. The Current provided steady, thorough coverage of town finances, school budgets, public meetings and the decisions confronting our community — the kind of reporting that helped residents engage with real information before casting their ballots.
Informed communities don’t happen by accident. They depend on people willing to do the hard work of gathering facts, asking questions and keeping the public in the know. During a time when local news organizations across the country are struggling, we are fortunate to have journalists here in Marblehead who take that responsibility seriously.
Cameron Wolfsen
Dean Road
