Judith Lacy's Jottings: Ways you can help guard the Manawatū Guardian

As the sun rises over another working year in Manawatū, let's get behind our community newspaper. Photo / Mark Inman

OPINION:

Comedy-drama After Life is - as the name on the can says - about what happens to us after we die. But it's about so much more than that - dementia, grief, loneliness, and the often complicated relationships we have with those dearest to us.

What I find most fascinating about After Life is how working in a community newspaper is portrayed. The lead character Tony, played by Ricky Gervais, is the head of features at the fictional Tambury Gazette.

Lenny is his best mate and also the Gazette's photographer. Lenny's camera fits in the palm of his hand and Tony's notebook - if you can call it that - is even smaller.

Tony hardly takes notes, Lenny snaps just the once and the stories are more comedic than dramatic. In the first episode Tony and Lenny meet a man who received the same card five times for his birthday. There's the boy who sticks two recorders up his nostrils to play them and the man who sees the face of Sir Kenneth Branagh in a wall.

Tony's wife has just died and he is finding everything too much. "We're putting out a free local newspaper that no one cares about." His boss Matt retorts that isn't true - a lot of people rely on the paper and not everyone is on Twitter.

I know how Matt feels. People care about the Manawatū Guardian.

Community newspapers are funny beasts. They are businesses yet often seen as a community service and community asset. I don't have a beef with that as long as we are all on the same page.

Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to make a community paper great. One thing I'm passionate about is the paper not just reflecting my background, views and tastes.

With Wellington Anniversary Day yesterday's fish and chip wrapper and the year starting in earnest, here are some work-focused jottings.

If you love or even like the Guardian, show your support. Buy an ad, support our advertisers, tell businesses you saw their ad in the paper.

Unlike the characters in After Life who are big fans of the C word (and no, I don't mean cancer or Covid), I will never utter that word. But milder expletives might flit through my brain when I see organisations who regularly send us media releases taking out ads on social media. It's an oldie but a goodie people - support local.

Get involved - send us your quirky photos, your passionate poem, pitch a column idea. We love receiving tips on community stories especially those exclusive to us.

Like our Facebook page, share our online stories on your social platforms. Yes, unlike the good folks of Tambury, we have a website manawatuguardian.co.nz. You can also read our paper PDF by PDF for free at communitynews.co.nz. Hard copies can be picked up from our office at 619 Main St and Central Library.

Newspapers are designed to be read more than once so share them around.

The best part of this job is getting out and about, meeting people and learning, plus the feedback I receive.

The most frustrating parts of the job are people not following through on their commitments or understanding deadlines. The Guardian is printed at NZME's press in Auckland and that beast doesn't stop for anyone - not even Phil Goff or Jacinda Ardern, and certainly not Ricky Gervais.

There's just me writing and editing so the more notice of events and milestones you can give the better. If you are sending us information, keep it simple - one Word document and a few photos. Have a think about why - why should I run your article, why would people care. Because it was run last year isn't a valid why.

The Guardian turns 50 on June 21so let's make 2022 the best yet. With your help it will be.