This year’s observance is the 85th celebration of National Newspaper Week. (File photo).
BENNETTSVILLE — National Newspaper Week, an annual event celebrating the vital role of newspapers, runs from Oct. 5-11, with the 2025 themes highlighting the importance of local journalism and fact-checking.
The week, sponsored by Newspaper Association Managers since 1940, focuses on how a free press contributes to a healthy and active democracy.
In the U.S., the 2025 theme is “Embracing Local Journalism for a Better Future,” emphasizing the importance of community-focused reporting. In a time of global headlines and widespread misinformation online, local news is crucial for civic engagement, holding officials accountable and building community resilience.
In addition to providing critical information, local journalism builds community by telling the shared stories that reflect a town’s character and create a sense of belonging. By covering everything from high school sports triumphs to local charity drives, newspapers serve as the memory and mirror of a community. This storytelling provides residents with a shared cultural experience and promotes a collective sense of identity and pride. It elevates the voices of local heroes, celebrates milestones, and covers cultural events that might otherwise be overlooked by national media, reinforcing the unique narratives that make a town feel like home.
The wartime origins
The initial motivation for National Newspaper Week was to emphasize the importance of a free press in the face of rising totalitarianism. With Nazi aggression expanding in Europe and restricting the press, American newspaper associations sought to promote journalism’s vital role in a democratic society.
The theme of the third annual National Newspaper Week in October 1942 was “American newspapers go all-out for war”. At the time, thousands of journalists and other newspaper employees had left their jobs to join the armed forces. Those who remained aided the war effort by running promotional ads for war bonds and helping to debunk enemy propaganda aimed at demoralizing the public.
In the early 20th century, journalism was still evolving toward a standard of modern professionalism. As late as 1923, biased and opinionated reporting was common. However, the American Society of Newspaper Editors adopted ethical rules that year, declaring that “news reports should be free of opinion or bias of any kind.” This maturation of the field gave more weight to the arguments for the importance of a free and independent press during the war years.
What began as a localized effort in California quickly grew to a national campaign, sponsored by NAM. Today, the event is promoted across both the United States and Canada. The week is often paired with International Newspaper Carrier Day, which honors the workers who ensure newspapers get delivered to readers. This second observance is especially nostalgic for many Americans, as the sight of paperboys on their morning routes was once a common image of a thriving local community.
Evolving themes, consistent mission
While the world and the newspaper industry have changed dramatically since 1940, the core mission of National Newspaper Week has remained consistent. Its purpose is to highlight the essential contributions that newspapers and their staff make in gathering and delivering news to their communities. Modern themes now focus on countering misinformation and embracing the ongoing relevance of local journalism in the digital age.
This year’s observance is the 85th celebration of National Newspaper Week.