Mississippi’s Best Community Daily Newspaper.

I’m sure you’ve seen that little slogan more than a few times on the pages of The Natchez Democrat.

It’s something this newspaper strives for with great stories and attention to detail.

But it takes more than just putting out a quality newspaper in order to claim the grand title of Mississippi’s Best Community Daily Newspaper.

The internet has exploded in recent years and just as many people, if not more, get their news from the internet more than the newspaper.

Newspapers are the here and now, but I believe everyone recognizes that the internet is the future of journalism. Someday, perhaps, newspapers as we know them now will be obsolete.

That is why we have continued to improve our internet site, in order for the online readers to get the best news possible.

The latest step in making the internet site the best it can be was accomplished Friday night.

I hope everybody had the chance to enjoy the Democrat’s live webcast of Trinity’s playoff football game against Riverfield.

Hopefully, that was just the first step in what will become a popular regular feature on the website.

We are already committed to having live webcasts of playoff games through the rest of the football season.

We may even tinker with the format, such as adding a play-by-play announcer, (I’m already angling for the job) and perhaps even a pregame show if any of our local teams makes it to the state championship game.

I have a grand vision in my head which hopefully will work out, but knowing my grand visions, probably won’t of becoming the popular sports broadcaster I dreamed of being all the way up through college when I realized I wasn’t technically inclined and couldn’t operate a camera.

The reason we continue to add features to the website such as live webcasts of football playoff games isn’t to pump up our own ego and try to win awards.

It is done for your enjoyment. As a newspaper we want to serve the public in the best way possible and a live webcast is the latest possible way to do just that.

So, if you don’t want to bundle up and sit out in the cold weather on Friday nights, just sit in front of your computer and cheer your favorite school through the playoffs to the state championship.

Jeff Edwards is the sports editor of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3632 or jeff.edwards@natchezdemocrat.com.