We just marked National Newspaper Week, an important reminder of the vital role newspapers play in informing and uniting the communities they serve. Newspapers are more than a source of headlines — they are the heartbeat of democracy at the local level, providing trusted, accurate reporting that helps citizens understand the world around them.

For generations, newspapers have stood as guardians of truth, holding those in power accountable and ensuring transparency in government. From your local city council to your county school board, no institution better chronicles the workings of democracy in our region than The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register. Our nation’s founders recognized this when they enshrined freedom of the press in the First Amendment, and courts ever since have reaffirmed that a free, independent press is essential to a free people.

In communities such as ours, your newspaper serves as both watchdog and neighbor — explaining how tax dollars are spent, what new policies mean for families, and how decisions at the courthouse or in Congress affect everyday life here at home. But newspapers also provide something no algorithm or digital feed can replicate: context, accuracy, and trust built over decades of service.

We are the place readers turn to when they want to know the truth, understand the facts behind a headline, or celebrate the people who make this region special. Our pages — in print and online at theintelligencer.net — provide a forum for discussion, debate, and discovery. We spotlight local successes, recognize challenges, and give voice to those striving to make this region stronger.

Newspapers preserve the shared fabric of community life. We tell you when cherished friends pass away. We celebrate the athletes who bring pride to our schools, the volunteers who lift up our neighbors, and the businesses investing in our region’s future. Through every milestone and every crisis, newspapers are there — documenting, verifying, and telling the full story.

Even in an era of instant information, the value of trusted local journalism has never been greater. Misinformation travels fast, and too often national narratives drown out the realities of life here in the Upper Ohio Valley. We bridge that divide by keeping readers connected, grounded in facts, and engaged in civic life.

Our mission each day is simple: to inform, to question, to inspire, and to strengthen the Upper Ohio Valley. These are our communities, too — and we take pride in telling their stories truthfully, every day.

“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”– Thomas Jefferson

“Without debate, without criticism, no administration and no country can succeed — and no republic can survive. … And that is why our press was protected by the First Amendment — not primarily to amuse or entertain, but to inform, to reflect, to lead, mold, educate and sometimes even anger public opinion.” — President John F. Kennedy