Feeling Appreciated

Last week, after we shared a post announcing that The Manchester Enterprise had earned 13 Kentucky Press Association awards for 2025, something happened that meant more to me than the awards themselves — we received an overwhelming amount of kind words from our readers.

I want to say, sincerely, thank you.

In this business, appreciation isn’t something you hear often. Journalism, especially local journalism, comes with criticism far more than compliments. If a story makes someone uncomfortable, challenges a belief, or simply reports facts people don’t want to hear, we hear about it. That’s part of the job. But every once in a while, being reminded that our work is valued makes a real difference.

Those messages reminded me why we do what we do.

At The Manchester Enterprise, our mission has always been to serve our community by keeping people informed. That responsibility was on full display during the recent snow and ice storm that hit Manchester and Clay County. While forecasts changed and totals varied, the impact was real — icy roads, falling trees, power outages, and families trying to decide whether it was safe to travel or open their businesses.

During that storm, we didn’t sit back and wait. We shared opening and closing information, road conditions, emergency updates, utility notices, and weather forecasts. If it mattered to the daily lives or safety of our citizens, we shared it. Not for attention. Not for clicks. But because people depended on it.

In many ways, local journalists are like first responders.

We go to the scene. We show up. We report what we see. We talk to officials, witnesses, and neighbors. We take photos, gather facts, and pass along information in real time. You can’t truly keep a community informed from behind a screen, and you can’t understand the gravity of a situation without being there.

Whether it’s a fire, a crash, a storm, or a community crisis, we are often on the ground alongside police officers, firefighters, EMS, road crews, and utility workers. While their jobs save lives directly, our role is to make sure the public knows what’s happening, where to avoid, and how to stay safe.

That responsibility doesn’t come with sirens or uniforms, but it matters just the same.

The 13 Kentucky Press Association awards and a second place win the largest weekly newspaper class in the state, represent a year of hard work, long hours, tough decisions, and stories that mattered to this community. But awards are only meaningful if the work behind them truly serves the people. The response from our readers last week confirmed that it does.

Local journalism isn’t easy in today’s world. Trust is fragile. Emotions run high. Social media moves fast, often without accuracy or accountability. But a local newspaper still matters. It preserves history. It holds leaders accountable. It gives a voice to the community. And during emergencies, it becomes a critical source of information.

To everyone who commented, messaged, or stopped me to say thank you — please know it was appreciated more than you realize.

We’ll continue to show up. We’ll continue to go to the scene. And we’ll continue doing everything we can to keep Clay County informed — not from behind a screen, but from right here in the community we call home.

For your trust, your support, and your appreciation — thank you.