I grew up in a home with a newspaper. I can’t imagine growing up any other way. Seeing the stack of newsprint and paper at the breakfast table before I departed for school was as much a part of my standard morning as mom making breakfast.

Even today, I try to look over as many newspapers as I can get my hands on. When I walk past newsstands, I’m always interested in what the different papers chose for their front-page stories and design.

It’s alarming to find that others have not had the a similar experience. Newspaper subscriptions have been falling for some time. In journalism classes, we are reminded that it is potentially a dying format. Statistics back up the idea that more people would rather spend time watching “reality” television than pay less than a dollar for a large quantity of real information.

Obviously, newspapers have had a tremendous impact on my life. I would not be writing this column today without them. After four years of schooling on the subject, I also have a vested interest in the success of the format. But aside from the personal impact or gains newspapers provide me, I believe newspapers have the ability to unify communities.

Newspapers are about more than murders, budget cuts or the winning score. To me, the spread of information and communication brings communities together. They should also represent the communities they exist in. There are notable exceptions, like the New York Times or the Washington Post, which tend to focus on more national stories. Newspapers should provide information that is helpful, entertaining and insightful to readers in the community. When people aren’t buying or reading their local newspaper(s), those type of connections cannot exist.

That is my hope for the Summer Kent Stater. I want us to be a part of your community. I take great pride in seeing people pick up the paper around campus.

But I am also aware of the multiple ways people receive information. Perhaps computers and the Internet have become as much a part of morning routines as breakfast. I encourage everyone to be a part of our online community at www.stateronline.com.

No matter how you decide to access the Stater’s content, I hope we become a part of the Kent community and continue to do so throughout the rest of the summer. If there’s ever any way we can become more tied to the community, let us know.

Matt Peters is a senior newspaper journalism major and the editor of the Summer Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].