What you’re holding in your hands this morning or looking at on a screen, if you’re reading digitally, is truly a unique creature.

A community newspaper can be considered a multi-faceted entity.

Newspapers are often loved by some; hated by others.

They’re found invaluable by many — our last research shows 8 out of 10 locals are regular readers — and ignored by a few.

We’re constitutionally protected to allow us the right to speak our minds and question those in power — at least unless GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, who doesn’t seem to like criticism, is elected.

But simultaneously, we would not exist without readers.

Those readers are the true bosses of the newspaper. And while the title on the franchise may have an actual person’s name attached, the truth is, we exist because the community supports us.

We are forever grateful for that support and, believe it or not, we even appreciate the constructive criticism. Hearing all the feedback — good, bad and even the ugly — helps make us better by showing us the mood of our audience — or at least some of the audience.

This morning print readers may have noticed a large but familiar addition to this morning’s newspaper — Profile 2016.

After much consideration, a team of our staff members chose a theme for this year’s section — Our Place, Our Time.

With much focus placed on the city’s ongoing tricentennial celebration, we felt a theme that encompassed the present made some sense.

Natchez’s deep American roots mean we often become labeled as merely an old city. We once touted ourselves to visitors as the place “Where the old South still lives.”

While I love our heritage and all that it brings to our area in the form of tourism, to merely see Natchez a place stuck in a time capsule would be a huge mistake. Natchez is very much cognizant of its past and appreciative of what it has managed to preserve, but we’re a city working hard on its future, too.

We hope Profile 2016 contains a bit of all of what makes Natchez so special in its 124 pages of stories, photographs and sponsorship advertisements.

But mostly, as you’ll see on the cover, the most important, most prominent, most precious and most unique part of our community is our people.

Our cover this year features approximately three-dozen area residents. The faces reflect our community well. Some are young, some old. Some are men, some women. Some are black, some white.

Natchez is diverse, and that’s what makes it such an interesting place to live and work. In counting up the number of annual Profile sections in which I’ve had hand in some form or fashion, this is No. 18 for me and each one is more special than the last.

Today I’d like to say, “Thank you,” to each of you reading us. You may not stop and realize it, but you help make The Natchez Democrat possible through your interest, your readership and your investment in us.

Many thanks also go to the many sponsoring businesses that through purchasing marketing space in Profile are able to help us share the stories of their businesses.

I’d be remiss without thanking The Democrat’s staff.

Team leaders include Rita Brooks, Cassie Strickland, Ben Hillyer, Sam King, Nona Colombo, KO Bennett and Julie Cooper.

The newsroom is made up of: Vershal Hogan, Megan Fink, Lindsey Shelton, Reed DeSalvo, Cain Madden, Taylor Denman, Nicole Hester and Patrick Jones.

Our marketing department includes Justin Clarkston, Lauren Smith, Pascha Brown, Tim Givens and John Lees. Our circulation and audience staff includes Theresa Davis and Anita Hood. Carlee Reed handles our front office and customer services.

Martha Gray ensures the business office runs smoothly, and pressmen George Ivory and Kenneth Baker make sure our presses keep rolling.

Custodian Sam Hunt keeps the building clean. Felecia Adams leads our mailroom crew which includes Lakenda Belton, Edward Ealey, Rakeysha Glover, Chevelle Hammett, Beulah Johnson, Ramona Rounds, Erica Smith and Dorothy Thornburg.

Neither Profile nor the 365 days this newspaper hits the street could become a reality without all of that team of people, from all walks of life working together. My thanks to each of them.

 

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.