To the Journal editor:

Never have I been more appreciative of my local news sources than during these past months.

Not only because it’s important for all of us to find out what’s happening in our community, but because we need the news from people who are practicing the profession of journalism.

We need people who are checking and evaluating their sources and know the difference between straight news and editorial opinion, who can help tease out the misinformation and disinformation that infects our public discourse.

Journalists aspire to a code of ethics, based on values of truth and accuracy, independence, fairness and impartiality, accountability. If they make a mistake, they will issue a correction. They know how to tell a story. Theirs is the first draft of history.

We who live in the Marquette area are fortunate. There are so many communities in the U.S. who no longer have a local newspaper or news channel.

The need for credible information is greater than ever as we continue to live with a pandemic and look to upcoming elections.