We are part of the community

March 15, 2009 12:23 pm

— Our national economy is in a shambles. Layoffs, stimulus, bailouts ... it seems to have no ending.
The impact is starting to be felt locally. Masonite, one of the longest serving employers in Jones County, recently announced their parent company will be filing bankruptcy. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Jones County has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state. People are working and spending their money locally. That includes the people who work at the newspaper you are currently reading.
There are a couple dozen dedicated carriers who deliver the newspaper to you each day. There are another couple of dozen folks who work to produce the newspaper each day. All of these people use local banks, retail stores, buy gas and food, go to church and belong to civic organizations. They live and pay taxes in Jones County, just like you do. In short, they are part of this community.
Since its inception, a local weekly newspaper has continued to harp on how the Leader-Call is owned by a company based outside of Mississippi and that businesses should spend their money “locally” supporting their publication. This, of course, is a ridiculous statement. Like many newspapers across the nation, our newspaper is owned by a company which is based in Birmingham, Ala. But that is the only connection we have outside of Jones County and the Magnolia State.
A majority of the advertising and news content comes from right here in Jones County and Mississippi. Our paper is printed each day in Meridian at our sister publication, the Meridian Star. That other newspaper? They’re printed in Monroeville, Ala.
Delving a little deeper into that other publication. Several of their employees either worked for the Leader-Call or worked at a newspaper that is owned by our company. They either have issues with the LL-C, our company, or both and therefore take the stance of stating the LL-C is not “local.”
The fact is we are all about local — news, advertising, and the people who work to bring you both seven days a week. That also goes for our website which includes local video and our quarterly magazine “Oak Street” highlighting local feature stories on the people and places in our community.
This newspaper — and the people who work here — takes great pride in bringing you the news that matters the most to you, your family and community every day of the week.
And for the record, this newspaper was the first to bring you the story about the issues facing Masonite. And just this week, we were the first to break the stories on an embezzlement investigation at JCJC and the closure of Immaculate Conception School after 50-plus years in Jones County.
The possibility that Laurel is getting a Buffalo Wild Wings? Despite other reports, the Leader-Call brought you that story first, too — back on January 30, 2008 (more than a year ago). We’ve followed that story from the time the company denied opening a Laurel location to within the past few weeks when local investors confirmed the project was close to becoming a reality.
Want local, timely news and the most bang for your advertising dollar seven days a week? Choose the local daily newspaper.

— Rob Sigler,
Editor