As I have some things going on in OHO-land, we’re rerunning today. If you’ve been with me long enough to remember this post from two years ago, thank you! And if not, I’m glad you joined me in the meantime 🙂
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How many of you check in on your local news on a regular basis?
I’m not talking about regional, state, and national politics, nor am I talking about opinion pieces. I’m talking about the news that covers the everyday things that happen right where you live: local crime, local events, local feel-good stories, and yes, local politics. The kind of news that tells you what local students are up to, low-level crime that may be happening in the next neighborhood over, why that one motel always seems to have cops in the parking lot, who the local heroes are, the progress of the neverending construction three blocks down…
And how many of you know how to find out hyperlocal information like power outages and zoning applications straight from sources like your utility company or city/town/village/whatever government?
While it is likely not productive for you to deep dive every day into the happenings around town, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the pulse of the people who live right where you do. Things that happen on a state or national stage are dramatic, but by the time they trickle down to you, the effects may be very different – or even entirely muted as your neighbors are more concerned and excited about something else entirely. Or they may be up in arms about something much more than a national news network may lead you to believe.
For your personal safety, what happens hundreds of miles away probably doesn’t immediately matter. But knowing about an obscure protest happening downtown in your city? Having an estimate of when power is coming back on in your 25-house outage? Hearing about a series of assaults on your favorite running trail? Those are all things that can affect your life, today.
Plus it ain’t all bad. Sometimes, it’s heartening to hear about service projects benefitting your community, interesting to find out about a cool event nearby that you’d really enjoy, or useful to know about a tiny boutique you never heard of before but is perfect for gift shopping.
Seem like a good idea to (keep) reading the local news now?
