Sun Editorial: The value of ink and paper

The Saratoga Sun was once again awarded the county public notices as voted by your county commissioners. While on the surface this may seem like no big deal, in these times, it is a big deal. Not that the Sun won the right to publish the legal notices, but rather that the public notices continue to be published.

Wyoming newspapers have been publishing public notices since 1887, archaic sounding, but effective in reality.

Some have suggested moving public notices to a website for viewing may be more cost effective in today’s environment. Sounds good, but that would be contrary to the true meaning of posting them. The point being that there is a permanent record not subject to change. With today’s technology comes wide opportunity for abuse. Things like the IRS using information as a weapon for political gain. Problems like gatekeepers selling information for personal gain. Problems like hackers changing or deleting information. All of these examples have happened and will continue to happen all the time.

Besides which, it seems hardly a good idea to let public bodies police themselves. Sounds like the fox guarding the hen house.

This newspaper and almost all newspapers in the great state of Wyoming not only publish legal notices in print, but also offer them free online, and the Wyoming Press Association offers a statewide site that posts all public notices for everyone, everywhere. No expense to county or town.

The Wyoming Press Association pays all the expenses involved in providing this site. Why? Because it is the right thing to do and is in step with our efforts to keep our communities abreast of community government activities. Obviously, creating, maintaining and updating a public notice website and database would be higher in expense by far, than simply continuing to publish them in your local newspaper.

A review of several Wyoming community budgets shows that less than three-tenths of one percent of their budget was spent on publishing public notices. Some spend even less. Hardly a haggling point for discontinuation.

If you think about it, most who argue for losing printed publication are simply looking to keep the troublesome public out of community business. “We know what is best for our community and don’t need our community telling us what to do!”

Jim Barksdale, former CEO for Netscape Communications, said in an article in the Washington Post, that a web page has a life span of 44 to 75 days. Your local newspaper has archives dating back several decades. At many public libraries, micro-film can be found for your local newspaper dating back to its first publication date.

Those who claim to be looking out for you may just be looking to get rid of the pesky newspaper department entrusted with keeping you up on the goings on, or possibly a competitor in the market looking to gain an edge.

The Saratoga Sun and all community newspapers will continue the fight to keep the public involved and point out inconsistencies when they arise. It’s our job, and we take, and have taken it, seriously for you for more than one hundred years.