Nothing is more therapeutic for me than a brisk walk. A mild spring day adds to the value of the exercise, as does a remote, rural venue such as a state park.
I was able to achieve that combination one day a couple weeks ago. The time went fast — too fast. But it was heavenly. Shakamak State Park near Jasonville in northwestern Greene County is a beautiful place any time of year.
Still, there is just no escape these days from the anxiety and stress that seems to wash upon you in relentless waves. So this is what a pandemic feels like. An unpredictable, microscopic parasite, preying on us, in search of a safe haven where it can thrive and reproduce itself.
We can't see the virus. We just assume it's there. What we can see is the tension in people's faces. The strain is palpable, even though the people I met in the park that day went out of their way to be pleasant.
As I walked along the main road bordered by a forest full of trees preparing to burst with new life, I met a man, a fellow walker, eager to greet me with a friendly hello.
I returned the greeting, and then some. "How are you getting along?" I asked.
He responded in polite resignation. "Oh, I'm hanging in there." He let out a sigh, then a restrained chuckle. "Hanging in there," he repeated as we passed each other. Then he gave out another soft laugh. "Man, oh man."
Sometimes it takes only a few words to say a lot.
Every individual has his or her own set of pressures and concerns. These days, it often shows on their faces and you can hear it in their voices. I wonder if the man I passed that day in the park could see the worries on my face and in my voice.
Just a few days earlier, this newspaper announced on its front page that it would soon be reducing its print publication schedule from daily to only five days a week. There would no longer be a printed edition of the Tribune-Star delivered to the doorsteps of our subscribers on Sundays and Tuesdays.
As editor of the Tribune-Star for the past 20 years (and a 35-year newsroom employee), it was a tough reality to face. But I understood it.
The economic fallout of the public health crisis facing every community in America had crashed in on us — and every other media organization — with a vengeance. How ironic that we are considered an "essential business" yet the advertising dollars that fuel our newsgathering engine had all but dried up.
As I tried to absorb the changes our newspaper and community were experiencing, I began seeing announcements coming from all over the country about the massive cutbacks and financial adjustments news organizations were making to try to navigate the crisis enveloping the industry. They were everywhere. Reductions in print editions, furloughs and layoffs. Newspapers, which have been enduring challenges for more than two decades, were struggling even more than usual.
And then came an announcement closer to home. The Daily Clintonian in Clinton, Vermillion County's hometown newspaper, was shutting down. The financial hit from coronavirus lockdowns was just too much.
Newspapers have been under siege for years. That's no secret. Media models of all kinds have been in flux as news organizations try to come to grips with the changing dynamics of information delivery and consumption.
People need reliable information they can trust now more than ever. Their options are many. I know the hunger for local news and community journalism — the kind of information in which we at the Tribune-Star specialize — will remain strong for years to come.
It will be hard to let go of the print editions affected by this change. But it's important to note that our digital publication (www.tribstar.com) will remain vibrant and active on those days, as will our social media presence.
We remain committed to serving our readers with the same local news, sports, photography and enterprise journalism they've grown to expect from us. Our readership has never been higher. We know you value our product.
What we need most from the community now is for more of you to subscribe to our newspaper. It's frustrating for us when we read complaints from people upset that a shared story from our publication on social media can't be read because they haven't paid for it. Producing quality news content takes a financial commitment on the part of our company. If you find that content valuable, we don't think it's asking too much for you to pay for it.
That said, the Tribune-Star is offering free access to breaking news content at our website during the coronavirus pandemic. We hope you find that public service valuable, and when the public health crisis is over, we ask you to consider becoming a subscriber.
Meanwhile, like the guy I passed at Shakamak State Park, we're hanging in there, trying to make the best of a difficult situation. Man, oh man.
As we begin to make changes to our publication cycle next week, we will answer every question and listen to concerns you want to share with us. We intend to remain a vital part of this community for years to come.
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