Barnstable Patriot: Our own Newspaper

I just got my weekly edition of the Barnstable Patriot. I have been doing that for many years. I used to buy it at the store. Now I get it delivered right to my doorstep. Now that's progress for you.

But is it the same Barnstable Patriot? The Barnstable Patriot is a important part of the history of Barnstable. If you want to find out about an event which happened a hundred years ago, chances are you can find it in the Patriot's Early Files. They still have writers like Ed Semprini, an institution in Barnstable, first behind the mike as a newscaster and now a columnist. Anyone who has spent more than a couple of decades in Barnstable knows Ed. As a journalist and as a person, God never made 'um any better.

But several years ago the independently owned Barnstable Patriot, our Barnstable Patriot, was sold to the parent company of the Cape Cod Times. It was like taking a body blow to the solar plexis. How could our local paper be sold to an out of State corporation? We heard the proclamation, don't worry, the paper won't change.

With consolidations and buyouts, we have lost independent newspaper after newspaper in Barnstable. Frank Falacci's Cape Cod News, Dana Hornig's Register and Carlton Crocker's Village Advertiser are all gone now. The Barnstable Patriot was the last holdout for the indenpendents. (Although the Cape Cod Voice is a great Cape Cod newspaper). They used to say, Barbara Williams will never sell. Won't happen. It did.

So what does it mean? So far, the paper seems to have kept its local flair. Its local coverage. Its local commitment. But what happens when the former owner departs? Or the Editor? Can we citizens due anything to keep our local newspaper? Why not write to the BarnstableBlog with your ideas on how to save our newspaper, the Barnstable Patriot. It is a great institution that is worth saving.