This month marks the 150th anniversary of the first edition of this newspaper. On Jan. 16, 1858, the first edition of the Belleville Weekly Democrat was published. There were 31 states in the United States, and the Civil War didn’t start until three years later.
Our first incarnation was a four-page weekly published by a Baptist minister from a second-story office on North High Street. At one point in our early years there were 12 Belleville newspapers. We’ve stood the test of time, and thrived thanks to the efforts of our employees and the support of our communities.
Through 15 decades we have remained true to our central mission: gathering and distributing information about our community. When reflecting on our history, we were constantly reminded that we have been shaped by the news of the people we have covered. That is our theme this year as we celebrate: “Our History is Your History.”
No organization can survive and flourish without evolving, changing and finding a way to balance what customers want and what customers need. When you are a newspaper, you have the added responsibility of telling the truth about your community, even when it is ugly or unpopular. I have the utmost respect for all former and the nearly 300 current employees who have contributed to this staggering history of daily performance.
Our current leadership team has the responsibility of being stewards for our business at a time of great change. Someone came before each of us, and someone will carry on after we are gone. Our hope is that we leave them in a better position to grow and evolve.
I believe there will always be newspapers, but today our online edition allows us to continue to be first, to continue to be local, to continue expanding our reach and to interact with our readers as never before. A staggering statistic for me is the growth of our total reach — those who read our print and view our online editions. More than 9,000 additional people per day either view our Web site or buy our newspaper than did a year ago. That’s a growth of 12 percent in a year.
Our core mission — to gather and distribute information for our local area — is what continues to set us apart, keep us strong and secure our future. We draw our strength from the communities of Southwestern Illinois, and we reaffirm our pledge to serve them.
I am proud when I hear people say they “saw it in the paper.” They mean us. I love that people refer to the Belleville News-Democrat as “my” paper or “our” paper. That sense of shared community guides our daily decisions and makes our foundation so strong.
Being a consistent and constant part of our community is a goal and a responsibility that we have accepted for the past 150 years. We are committed to accepting that goal and responsibility for the next 150 years.
Jay Tebbe is president and publisher of the Belleville News-Democrat.
