Hillsboro, Ohio — I rarely read online comments to my articles, because I’m quite old-fashioned journalist who prefers letters to the editor with the name of the author, telephone calls or emails. But my friends and relatives told me that my last article published in the Washington Post, provoked a lot of comments that the authors made fun of me and accordingly many editors of provincial Newspapers across the country.
I’m not going to complain that I criticize. But, I might be able to clarify something regarding provincial Newspapers — which, as I have often written, are the last papers, adhere to the principles of traditional, not aimed at sensational journalism — and to help the doubters to better understand the country trump.
The author of one review, which was summarized the contents of hundreds of similar comments, suggested that for such Newspapers as ours, “the biggest news is the opening of a new store Dollar Store, and most of all inch speakers is a crime news and obituaries. It’s very sad”.
I laughed — partly because the author of this comment was very close to the truth. We do have published articles, devoted to the opening of new stores. In some tiny towns in southern Ohio the opening of a new store is a real event, because now the locals no longer need to spend 30 minutes to travel by car or even more time on a bus ride to buy food or household chemicals.
Those who ridiculed us, don’t have a clue about what actually the life of the hinterland. And it is in these places the majority of voters voted for Donald trump. It was the people who know laugh at them the elite of Eastern and Western coasts, having no idea of what actually affects their lives. Trump was able to point to a common enemy, when he lashed out at the media elite, and provincial America came to his side.
In the recently published on the website of the Reuters article on the lack of interest in the scandal surrounding relationships trump and Russia, among residents of southern Ohio, tells of three visitors to a restaurant in Jackson, Ohio who, when asked about this scandal, did not immediately realize what was going on. “I haven’t heard about it” — finally answered one of them.
How can this be? One of the reasons is that they have more important things to do than to sit at the TV and watch the news sent cable TV. In addition, southern Ohio is not enough, not only grocery stores but also high-speed Internet access. One of the government initiatives that has found mass support among voters trump, was the initiative to ensure a greater number of rural communities with high speed Internet access.
The mainstream media, as news and entertainment, to this day, depict rural America is backward and uneducated. The media often remind us that the majority of voters who gave their vote for trump are the people who are not enrolled in College, which is a euphemism for “stupid”.
Many residents of provincial America are very good at their job even without a degree. These people that the mainstream media consider to be uneducated, sometimes earn more money than most College graduates, in developing their farming or trade, so the most important news is the weather forecast.
The provincial newspaper report important political news and political news, local scale. They also conduct investigative reporting and in-depth analysis. They also receive awards from the Associated Press and other media organizations for his achievements.
But, Yes, provincial Newspapers also publish reports on the opening of new stores, because sometimes opening the city’s only store is real important news that affects people’s lives. They publish articles about new doctors who come to the city, because often it means that now people will be able to receive specialized treatment and that they won’t have to ride him in a distant city.
They publish information about the change of routes of school buses, which is extremely important for parents, who now may need the morning to get up an hour earlier or another way to plan your day. They also publish articles about the veterans of the Second world war to pay tribute to the older generation, as well as the achievements of young people in the framework of 4-H.
It is to this America turned trump. The obsession of the media in the Russian scandal may not be fake news in the sense that this phrase puts trump. But trump statements resonate with millions of Americans, because the hysteria around Russia is not the kind of news that might somehow influence their daily life.
And when someone tells them that they should seriously think about meeting Donald trump Jr. with a Russian lawyer, sometimes they look at this man with confusion, not understanding what was going on.
Gary Abernathy is publisher and editor of the Times-Gazette, Hillsboro, Ohio
