An editorial from The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register
WHEELING, W.Va. — We at The Intelligencer are well aware of our newspaper’s rich, deep heritage. We understand it has contributed much to our communities, our states, even the nation since the paper was established on Aug. 24, 1852.
Today, we celebrate our 163rd birthday as most people do, by looking back at the past and also forward to the future.
Recognition of our long, distinguished history came earlier this year when the Society of Professional Journalists designated The Intelligencer as a National Historic Site in Journalism. “Not too many newspapers can say they were instrumental in creating a state,” read part of the SPJ letter nominating us.
Then, slightly more than a week ago, we were reminded of the difference an individual newspaper man or woman can make, when a former editor of The Intelligencer, the late Thomas O’Brien Flynn, was inducted into the West Virginia Press Association Hall of Fame. Flynn’s work had an impact reaching up to national government.
Recognition of our newspaper and those who have worked here and do so today is gratifying, of course.
But we at The Intelligencer recognize that awards and other types of honors carry with them a responsibility: Our predecessors have set high bars of dedication, excellence, courage and service. Our efforts to meet them must be – and are – difficult tasks requiring hard work and sometimes, sacrifice.
Doing that is a labor of love for us, however. Providing an excellent newspaper – still by far the best source of information and editorial leadership in our area – means learning from the past and looking into the future for ways we can serve our communities, states and nation.
We do it because we care deeply about our readers – and because these are our communities, our states, our nation, too.
Today, our model for service remains what was proclaimed in the very first edition of The Intelligencer: “All that the people require in order to arrive at proper conclusions is light and information.” We continue to provide that information through news reports and that light through editorials analyzing them.
So today, we hope you will join us in wishing ourselves a hearty “happy birthday!” At the same time, we pledge to you there will be “many more” as we strive to serve you in the future.
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