The state of newspapers is grave; at least for print versions. Companies are watching how they spend money, so they’re certainly not going to pay for advertisements, which is how news companies make money. The country is having a hard time, but people must not forget the important role that newspapers play in our society.

Newspapers play a watchdog role in our society. Keeping an eye on government and all its subsidies: schools, health industry and now the banking system.

It’s also our job to report on issues, so that people know what is going on in the world and discuss whether or not they agree with what is going on. In simple terms, it sparks discussion, which is vital to a healthy functioning democracy.

College newspapers, such as this one, also play a watchdog role, although it’s generally on a smaller scale. We keep an eye on the administrators, student life and budget issues.

In the fall 2008 semester we broke a story of the passing of English Professor Danny Miller. We had a story written and sent via email to the university within an hour. I’m sure Northern Kentucky University would have eventually heard about this, but this newspaper provided a student perspective from within the university community, perspective that no other news organization can do.

We also keep students informed about tuition and what decisions are being made for them- although I’m very sure that this isn’t the most exciting reading for students, it’s incredibly important.

There is no doubt that there are people who disagree with what is reported in this paper, which is good because if everybody agreed with everything that was printed we probably wouldn’t be doing our jobs correctly. It’s nice to see people are still reading.

When reading this week think about how you would get university news if this paper wasn’t here. If all the news you received was coming directly from the mouth of the administration, would you believe all of it? How would you know you are being told the truth?

As the budget cut choices start rolling out across the university, and they undoubtedly will, keep The Northerner in mind. Supporting this paper means that you are supporting the First Amendment, free speech and the free exchange of ideas-something this public university prides itself in.