I almost feel I should be paying them – I said “ALMOST!”

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So, what motivated me to join NOTA as a contributing reporter?

In the past I have come to the realisation that a free and independent media is one of the pillars of any functioning democratic society such as we in the west enjoy.

However, I have watched in horror as, one after another, our mainstream news sources began to parrot the same stuff and it seemed to me that none of them was really listening to the people they claimed to represent.

Through cost-cutting to actual reporting and powerful pushes by larger corporations, most of what was reaching my family through the nightly news was just what I considered to be propaganda.

The same stories would pop up on all channels and sometimes there was a gap of a few weeks but then a similar story would air somewhere else.

It was as if they were all being told to tell us the same things.

Funding was virtually cut to local area news services, and we were all served up the same national content through most major news outlets.

So, like many others, I turned off the TV, stopped listening to the mainstream news services, and only picked up the local papers in my supermarket.

I decided to live my life in the moment, talking to strangers and discovering what people were really doing in my local area.

Naturally, when I saw an advertisement looking for local reporters at News Of The Area, I decided to contribute where I could, to provide a voice to ‘real’ people and eyes on the ground for those who couldn’t get out to find out what was happening locally.

For all your hard work over the past year, thank you to all my wonderful fellow contributors at Nambucca Valley NOTA – Mick, Jen, Andrew, Andrea, Mary and the many others (I don’t really read the sport – but still thank you).

You are all my heroes!

I know you do it for the love of your fellow men and women and I appreciate all your fantastic efforts.

Thanks also to all of you who have let me take your picture so far.

It’s always amazing to see the gorgeous faces of people we know in our local rag, and I will try to make you all look as beautiful and handsome as I can, I promise.

Thanks to all of you taking part in activities to make this Valley better, to restore its health and protect its people and our heritage.

I see so many people who really answer their calling to serve their local community, from Councillors to private citizens who donate many hours every week to causes they feel will benefit others.

You are all my heroes!

I promise to do my very best to present what is happening in our community as truthfully and kindly as I can.

Thanks to Doug, for making the paper look so good and incredibly professional each week and guiding us with his wisdom and experience when things get complicated.

Finally, I would like to say thank you, to all our readers and advertisers at NOTA – you are the reason we can keep doing this every week!

Happy Christmas to you all and I will see you all in the new year.

Please don’t be afraid to let me know what you feel should be in the newspaper so we make it even better next year.

By Ned COWIE