We are preaching to the choir if you are reading this. You already know that your trusted community news source is the best place to find reliable news reporting.

Nonetheless, we hope that this message is passed on to those less inclined to pick up a local newspaper or read it online.

Of concern is misinformation that circulates within social media groups. Information that is inaccurate is not intentionally shared to misinform others, nor is it “fake” news. It is simply “news” repeated and carried on without attention to fact. Misinformation in social media groups has a way of ballooning. We cringe when we catch wind of these messages, for many of the questions asked revolve around articles and other information found within the pages of The Newtown Bee — pages filled with the work of experienced journalists who do their darnedest to confirm information that goes into each article. Helping others to be in the know is only as good as the source from which that news is obtained. We admit that, being human, we make mistakes — but we also print those corrections in a timely manner.

The newspaper provides exclusive, in-depth reporting that serves to inform and alert the public to issues that may greatly impact quality of life. How and why changes occur in neighborhoods, environmental concerns, health, education, and economic opportunities are addressed — fact-checked for your convenience. The news we report is the news you can confidently pass on to others.

There is a cost to sharing this valuable news, though, and it should not be news to anyone that print newspapers are shouldering a huge expense to keep readers informed; it seems to be sheer doggedness and a bit of insanity that makes journalists continue to pursue the truth with every passing day. We rely on subscribers to sustain our mission.

We’ve said it before, and we say it again: there is value added in being a subscriber. In addition to the online updated and timely articles that anyone can access, subscribers to the paper find more stories and more information in its pages than readers who read solely our online content.

(There certainly is a wealth of useful information at newtownbee.com; we are experimenting with posting online stories that are an abbreviated form of what appears in print. Studies show that shorter articles are preferred by the population that seeks the news online — with all of the facts clearly stated for a satisfactory reading experience. Providing an optimum reading experience for all who find our news in any format is important to us.)

But the thorough knowledge of our town provided to subscribers means that misinformation can be kept to a minimum — and more subscribers ( https://classadz.vdata.com/NewtownCTCirc/SelectOption.aspx) mean that this community newspaper can continue to bring you the news that can be shared with the utmost confidence, reported by people who are part of the community and who are sincere in efforts to make this a better place for all who call Newtown home.