To the editor:

Let’s discuss the Townbroadcast and its grounding in the five communities and surrounding areas. A few years ago, this newspaper was named the Wayland Townbroadcast and it led folks to assume it served Wayland City and Township exclusively.

The proprietor and editor soon realized (with some prompting from advisors) the good folks in Dorr, Martin, Hopkins and Moline were woefully underserved as well, and changed the name of the publication from the Wayland Townbroadcast to simply “Townbroadcast,” with the renaming more accurately describing the mission.

A newspaper that has an emphasis on local sports will have more stories covering Wayland schools because they are the largest; however, a genuine effort is made to balance sports coverage in the five communities. The news is also a balance, with many more stories published from the five communities than you will find in any other publication hands down, not even close.

As a believer in the true value of the community newspaper concept, I applaud Townbroadcast and those who give freely of their time to help make it work. Print media is dead; the days of the daily paper and the weekly magazine are going the way of the pay phone and the print catalog, the buggy whip and the oil lamp. The new media is the electronic media, more responsive and current with less dependence on advertising and a large costly distribution system. It can serve good folks who have not been served in the past.

As I talk to folks, many will tell me Townbroadcast is a Wayland paper; not true, but perception is reality in some minds. We all need to recommend to our friends and neighbors to just take a look and decide for themselves. They will not find more coverage for the great communities of Dorr, Hopkins, Martin or Moline in any other news outlet.

Spending a few minutes a day browsing the Townbroadcast will keep us up to date on happenings in our area; after all, what is more important — a referendum on taxes that affects our own neighborhoods, or a story on which Kardashian is pregnant? A story on the actions of our local government, or the latest news on who is in or out in Washington? A debate on allowing marijuana to be sold, processed or grown in our area, or a debate over the President’s hair being real?

Do your family and friends a favor and ask them to just give their hometown newspaper a look.

Robert M. Traxler, Dorr