OPINION
Newspapers have been the go-to source for public notices for generations.
That's because a newspaper is a third-party source where the public knows it can find reliable information and where the governmental entities know they can turn to share information.
Every legislative session, that guarantee is peeled back more and more.
In this digital age, those governments are hearing from their legal counsel that having the notices run in newspapers is outdated.
Here's why you should be worried about that.
When a notice runs in our paper, it can't be changed after the fact.
That's a protection for both the taxing entity and the taxpayer.
We also keep a consistent record of what runs in our publication that we have a legal and ethical obligation to maintain.
We don't just keep our archives because we should.
We do it because we're proud of the work we produce, and we believe in being accountable for what we put out into the community.
When we had our regional press association, which you can read about in this week's issue, we had an update from the Texas Press Association President Lisa Chappell.
When she came to the public notice portion, the lightbulb came on for me about how crucial our archives are in the value of public notices. We have a written record of what we produce that can't be altered after the fact.
That means anyone can see the notice for exactly what it was.
Having a healthy (to sometimes unhealthy) level of cynicism about whether a governmental entity is telling you the truth is the American way.
If notices move to government websites solely, taxpayers might wonder, rightfully so, whether the notices they see were always worded exactly as they appear.
If they stay in our newspapers, you'll always know where to check.
Abigail Bardwell is the Editor & Publisher of the Post-Signal, and she serves on both the North and East Texas Press Association and the Texas Press Association boards. She can be reached at abardwell@postsignal. com.
