I don't really follow economic news. Probably a bad thing, being the editor of a newspaper. But I've always felt it's all a bit Chicken Little-ish. Worrying about the economic downfall of the banks seems about as useful as worrying about the rising cost of rice.

Yes, it affects me. But honestly, if I can't fix it, why worry?

Therein lies the problem though. I am worrying these days. Why? Because I'm learning that economy isn't some uncontrollable, global force. Okay, some of it is. But it's also local. Extremely local.

It's the cliched mom and pop stores. It's small festival organizers. It's locally owned and operated corn barns and small-time entertainers.

These are all people who work locally, get paid locally and spend most of their money locally.

And newspapers, for the most part, are no different.

Here at the Observer, we are striving to be extremely local. As the resident editor, reporter and photographer, I want to know all the little things going on. I'd love to come out to each and every event, meet each and every one of you. But, in reality, these little communities are bigger than most realize, with multiple things happening every day.

And even if I could split myself in two, be everywhere at once, and still have time to write fascinating stories, I face a problem that all newspapers face right now— smaller revenues and the necessary cutbacks, followed by a general fear of what's coming down the pipe next.

In short, smaller papers equal less space.

Just one advertisement getting cancelled can make the difference between a healthy, 20-page paper, and a smaller, 16-page one. And equally, just one extra ad coming in can bump the page count back up.

It's all a little frustrating. I can't jump up and down telling people to buy ads — that job belongs to the lovely duo of Mary and Chris, the latter of who is back to work this week and looking as healthy and beautiful as ever — but the more ads that go in the paper, the more room I have for storytelling, for pictures, and for all the submitted letters and articles that flood my inbox each week. (Thank you everyone!)

So I'm always hoping for the best, and love seeing advertisers walk through our office door.

In the meantime, I'm inviting our readers to visit our website for a little extra story and photo content. Not every picture or story is making it into the paper these days, but there is unlimited room on the internet. And I'm getting to like that.

Breaking news is uploaded the minute I finish writing it. Pictures are now often online the day I take them, giving you instant access to our content.

The internet is also a venue for local video content and interactive comments and discussions on local issues. There are links to other papers in the region, and constantly updated news from around the province.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking.

You're like me. You still like the feel of a newspaper in your hand, pages spread out on the kitchen table or back porch as you enjoy a cup of coffee.

No one is going to take that away. Newspapers large and small may be folding, but I'm hopeful. I believe that no matter what the Chicken Littles say about the print industry, it's not dying. It's just a little under the weather right now.

In the meantime, I think we should embrace the internet as a lifesaving device. And let's patiently wait as the heartbeat of our global and local economies comes back to normal.

And let's embrace the new media as much as possible. It doesn't feel as good as newsprint in the hand, but it can help you keep a finger on the pulse of the community.

Contact Jessica Murdy anytime at: news@ahobserver.com