Each year, the Bryan County News is proud to publish our "countywide" edition. This issue is mailed to every deliverable household in Bryan County as a way of introducing the newspaper to potential readers.

Of course in today’s world newspapers, television and other traditional media face increasing competition from other information sources, including the internet – which we’ll get back to in a minute.

But first, we want to tell you about our newspaper and where we stand. It’s not complicated and won’t take long.

We’re Bryan County’s legal organ and we take that responsibility seriously. It means we believe in using the resources we have to provide our readers with responsible, fair and (yes) balanced coverage of the events and issues that define Bryan County. We’re not perfect, but we work hard to get things right.

We believe in speaking truth to power, though we also understand we have a responsibility to be accurate and without agenda. If we take a side, it will be on the side of the public’s best interest as we understand it.

We believe in debate on issues of importance to Bryan County and everyone is welcome to express their opinion through guest columns or signed letters to the editor. We believe an informed, engaged public creates a strong community and better quality of life for all.

We believe in free enterprise and the promise of growth to provide jobs and bring economic opportunities to everyone in Bryan County. But we also believe growth must be managed carefully to ensure it does not negatively impact the quality of life of residents already here We do not think free enterprise and managed growth are contradictory terms.

What’s more, we strongly believe in protecting our natural resources.

Bryan County’s environmental treasures, its wetlands, its marsh, its rural beauty and its wildlife, need to be protected when and wherever possible. We owe that to future generations.

Now, about the internet.

It should come as no surprise that the World Wide Web is fast becoming one of the main ways Americans get their news and information. Newspapers across the country are putting more and more resources into their web presence and the Bryan County News is no exception. BryanCountyNews.net is updated frequently, and we now post breaking news on our website first, a departure from past practice where stories were held until they made it to print. What’s more, our site includes a community area where readers can post photographs and/or express their opinions, free of charge. That’s been one of the most popular features of the new website – we’ve had hundreds of photos and more than 1,000 comments posted since it was unveiled less than a year ago. Topics discussed have ranged from schools and sports to development and local government.