The Intelligencer’s first edition came off the printing press at a time much different than today — but also very similar in some ways. That first publication came out on Aug. 24, 1852 — 172 years ago this past Saturday. The Civil War was less than a decade away, the area in which we live was still part of Virginia and, just as today, the citizenry was hungry for accurate and trusted news of what was happening in their community, their state and the wider world.

The Intelligencer provided that news, just as it does today in both a print edition and through its digital platforms. For 172 years, we’ve made it our mission to serve you with the most important and vital information each day, in a manner that best suits your needs.

We pride ourselves on being not only the oldest daily newspaper in the state of West Virginia, but for continuing to be the Upper Ohio Valley’s trusted source of information. That service to our community — providing trusted information that helps you navigate your daily life ­– is something we take very seriously.

While the way we deliver the news has come a long way since that first edition, the principles that have served this newspaper for nearly two centuries remain the same: a daily search for the truth; accountability for our government leaders; fact-based, unbiased reporting; and an unwavering commitment to this region. That mission has not changed since our very first edition, where we proclaimed that, “All that the people require in order to arrive at proper conclusions is light and information.”

Through the years, that has been the goal of thousands of men and women who have worked at The Intelligencer. The formula has worked well, to the benefit of our communities and our business partners.

We continue to strive for that today. No other medium provides the comprehensive, in-depth coverage of local happenings that is available every day in The Intelligencer. And, at a time when some media sources have raised questions about reliability and frankly driven a political wedge between neighbors, our news pages have remained a source of accurate, unbiased, here’s-what-happened reporting.

Our goal each day is to provide you with the facts surrounding an issue, and then let you make up your own mind on what it means to you.

At the same time, a separate mission is one of leadership and encouraging thought about local, state and regional affairs. Our editorial pages provide a variety of viewpoints while taking stances aimed at improving the lives of local individuals, often through better government at all levels.

Our editorial leadership is guided solely by devotion to the best interests of our readers, without regard to any political party or ideology.

Take, for instance, the editorials we penned last year focusing on how the city of Wheeling was not effectively managing its homeless problem. Our editorials led city officials to work on a more comprehensive plan to deal with the problem.

Ideals such as ours may seem quaint to those that have become accustomed to blatantly slanted reporting and staunch, unquestioning support of certain candidates and ideologies. But our philosophy has served local readers much better than such misguided policies.

For 172 years, The Intelligencer’s foundation — service — has not wavered. That is worth celebrating as we mark another year of service.