EDITORIAL: What has changed, and what hasn't, in 100 years
Mar. 29—On Jan. 30, a handful of Post Bulletin employees attended the Minnesota Newspaper Association awards banquet in Brooklyn Park. This event recognizes the efforts of newspaper reporters, sports writers, editors, photographers, graphic artists and advertising designers across the state.
The PB claimed 16 first-place awards that night, as well as 15 second-places and 10 thirds across a wide array of categories. Each award carried a point value, and when the final numbers were tallied, the Post Bulletin claimed the 2024 Vance Trophy, awarded annually to the state's best multi-day newspaper.
It was a fun Thursday evening for the PB staffers who claimed the hardware, but they had little opportunity to bask in glory or rest on laurels. On Friday morning they were back in the office or out and about in southeastern Minnesota, working hard to produce new content for the Post Bulletin.
That's the nature of the newspaper business. There's little time for reflection or celebration. When one story has been told, another requires attention. One news cycle immediately follows (and indeed overlaps with) another, and each new day comes with a unique set of opportunities and challenges.
Journalists know all too well the truth of the saying, "You can't step into the same river twice." This weekend, the Post Bulletin commemorates 100 years of stepping into new waters every day.
On March 30, 1925, the first edition of the Rochester Post Bulletin landed on newsstands and doorsteps. It represented a merger of two competing papers, the Rochester Daily Bulletin and the Rochester Post and Record.
The front page of that first edition featured more than a dozen headlines, but no photos. Datelines included Berlin, San Francisco, Manilla, Chicago, Tulsa, Washington and Long Beach, Calif. — where the headline declared, "Man reports lost leg to California police." (It was an artificial leg, soon recovered.)
In 1925, and for decades to follow, the Post Bulletin was the region's best source for national and international news. Television news programs didn't reach wide audiences until the 1950s, and even then a half-hour broadcast couldn't touch the breadth of information to be found in a daily newspaper.
The Great Depression. Pearl Harbor. Hiroshima. Korea. Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. JFK. The moon landing. Vietnam. The first Super Bowl. Watergate. The Berlin Wall. The Gulf War. For all of these eras, events and celebrities, and others too numerous to name, the Post Bulletin was an invaluable source of news and analysis.
But the Post Bulletin also offered much more.
From the newspaper's inception, its reporters attended meetings of city and county leaders, chronicled the rise and fall of local business tycoons and enterprises, and bore witness to the inevitable growing pains of an expanding city. The Post Bulletin told the ever-evolving story of Mayo Clinic's ascension to international fame — and the newspaper experienced firsthand the devastation when floodwaters swept through downtown Rochester.
But nowhere was the Post Bulletin more valuable than in its documention of daily life in Rochester and southeast Minnesota. The newspaper was the official record of local marriages, births, deaths — and everything in between. Graduations. Anniversaries. Retirements. Military honors. Athletic achievements. For generations of our readers, life events weren't "real" until they were documented in the Post Bulletin's printed pages.
Times have changed.
During the past 30 years, the advent of the Internet, the smartphone and 24-hour cable news dramatically altered the ways in which people get their news. Print journalism paid a heavy price for this shift. Since 2005, more than 3,200 newspapers nationwide have closed or been absorbed by other publications.
The Post Bulletin was not immune to these pressures, and the resulting changes have not been easy. Jobs were eliminated. The company's physical footprint shrank. Six printed editions per week became just two, and those print editions aren't as thick as they were 30 years ago. Such developments led more than a few naysayers to predict the imminent demise of the Post Bulletin.
We proved the naysayers wrong, and what didn't kill us has made us stronger.
The Post Bulletin isn't just surviving — it's thriving. As we begin our second century in Rochester, we can report that during the past two years, our circulation has actually grown — due in large part to the public's growing awareness that our product is worth paying for, even for readers who never touch a physical newspaper. Our website gets more than 2 million views per month, and last year, our reporters produced more than 4,000 local news stories.
This growth isn't an accident. The Post Bulletin didn't resist change: It embraced it. Our team has never been more agile, adaptable and better positioned to identify and meet the needs of its readers than it is right now. Every day we get real-time data about which stories are bringing people to our website, and which advertisements are getting "clicks." Readers can contact us instantly, whether in an emailed letter to the editor or simply an online comment. When a story is best told through a video or a series of photographs, that's what we do. Our journalists are agile multitaskers, ready and willing to use whatever medium is appropriate, and our level of dedication to local news has never been higher.
Does this mean the future will be smooth sailing? Not at all.
Nationally, the level of distrust in the media is at an all-time high, and the Post Bulletin isn't immune to such cynicism. The constitutional guarantee of press freedom is under attack, and as respect for our profession has waned, so too have legal protections for journalists. Social media platforms routinely republish our content without our permission and without payment. Artificial intelligence is making it increasingly difficult for reporters and readers alike to distinguish between fact and fiction.
As the Post Bulletin begins its second century serving Rochester and southeast Minnesota, it will not ignore these new challenges — but it won't fear them, either. It will speak the truth to power. It will celebrate courage. It will give a voice to the weak.
That first edition of the Rochester Post Bulletin included a statement of goals for the new enterprise, including this phrase: "The policy of the Rochester Post-Bulletin will be to serve the public. ... to interpret through its news columns Olmsted County and southern Minnesota's developments without bias and without prejudice."
That policy hasn't changed in 100 years, and it won't change in the next 100, either.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Is your money safe in a bank during a recession?
As scary as they can be, recessions are normal — and temporary. But that doesn't make them any less painful. With the possibility of a recession dominating headlines in recent months, it's no surprise if you're concerned about the security of your money. You may even wonder if your money is safe in a bank during a recession. Two pieces of good news may help calm your fears: First, according to JPMorgan Research, the likelihood of a recession has dropped from 60% to 40% in recent weeks. Second, even if a recession does happen, your money is safe in a bank. Continue reading to learn how banks protect your cash, what happens when they fail, and how you can keep your money safe during a recession. Banks are generally safe at any time, including during a recession. In 1933, following the Great Depression, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was created to promote consumer trust in banks. The FDIC protects insured bank deposits of up to $250,000 per customer, per insured bank, per ownership category, in case of bank failure. FDIC insurance doesn't apply to all account types; it only covers certain deposit accounts, such as savings accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit (CDs). Money invested in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other investments isn't covered. Bank failures are unlikely, but they do happen on occasion, and especially during a recession. While there has only been one bank failure in 2025, there were 157 in a single year following the Great Recession. But even when banks fail, FDIC insurance protects bank customers in one of two ways: The FDIC may open a new account for you at an insured bank with a balance equal to your insured balance at the failed bank. The FDIC may send you a check in the amount of your insured balance at the failed bank. According to the FDIC's website, it has historically paid customers within a few days of failed bank closures. And since the creation of the FDIC, no depositor has ever lost insured funds. Credit unions and banks are both safe during a recession, provided they're both federally insured. Like banks, credit unions offer insurance on deposits of up to $250,000. Though FDIC insurance doesn't apply to credit union deposits, credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), which provides similar coverage. While banks and credit unions provide the same amount of financial protection during a recession, credit unions have characteristics that may make them feel safer. For example: Credit unions are member-owned. Unlike banks, credit unions are nonprofit organizations and don't have to cater to shareholders. This generally means they put members' needs first and offer highly personalized customer service, which can provide some peace of mind during financially unstable times. Credit unions tend to have fewer fees, more affordable loans, and higher savings rates. Because credit unions are nonprofit entities, they can pass profits on to members in the form of lower fees and higher savings rates. These extra savings can go a long way during a recession, when members may be looking to cut costs wherever they can. Credit unions take less risk compared to banks. Because banks operate for a profit, they're generally willing to take on more risk in the pursuit of bigger returns. For example, the majority of subprime mortgages in 2006 were issued by banks, not credit unions. Credit unions, meanwhile, are more risk-averse, which can provide a sense of stability for their members. You can keep your money safe during a recession by keeping it in the right place. Here are some tips to make sure your cash is secure if and when a recession hits: Make sure you bank with insured institutions. FDIC or NCUA insurance protects your deposits as long as your bank or credit union is backed by one of these organizations. To confirm your bank is FDIC-insured, use the FDIC's BankFind Suite tool. To check a credit union's NCUA status, use the NCUA's Credit Union Locator tool. Get extra FDIC coverage. If you have a lot of money saved, $250,000 worth of insurance may not be enough. Luckily, some banks allow you to insure deposits beyond the standard $250,000 by using something called reciprocal deposits. This system spreads your money between multiple partner banks, each of which can insure up to the standard limit. Alternatively, you can insure funds beyond the $250,000 maximum simply by opening accounts at multiple banks. Build an emergency fund. An emergency fund is always important, but it's particularly crucial during a recession. Having cash on hand in a safe, high-interest account like a high-yield savings account gives you extra comfort and protection if an emergency does happen. Read more: Recession-proof your money: How to protect your savings, investments, mortgage, and more Yes, keeping your money in the bank during a recession is generally a good idea. You can also keep your money in a credit union. As long as your bank or credit union is insured by the FDIC or NCUA, your deposits will be safe up to federal limits. Both banks and credit unions are safe places to keep your money during a recession. Banks are insured by the FDIC, and credit unions are insured by the NCUA. Both types of financial institutions insure up to $250,000 per depositor, per account category. Both banks and credit unions are safer than keeping physical cash, which can get lost, stolen, or damaged. Generally, the government can't take money from your bank account in a crisis. However, it may be able to garnish wages and seize your tax refund if you owe outstanding debt, such as federal student loans.
Epoch Times
12 hours ago
- Epoch Times
Coast Guard Funding, Spectrum Auction Detailed in Senate Commerce Panel's Budget Bill Section
WASHINGTON—Funding figures and policy changes for air travel, artificial intelligence, spectrum internet, and the U.S. Coast Guard were detailed June 5 in the Senate Commerce Committee's The
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Minsud Announces Option Grant
TSX-V: MSR TORONTO, June 6, 2025 /CNW/ - Minsud Resources Corp. (TSXV: MSR) ("Minsud" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has granted options to purchase an aggregate of 600,000 common shares of the Company (the "Stock Options") to certain directors of the Company. The Stock Options are exercisable at a price of $0.60 per share for a period of five years from the date of issuance. As of the date hereof, a total of 16,494,852 common shares of the Company are reserved for issuance under the Company's stock option plan and, after this new grant, 13,876,000 options will be outstanding. About Minsud Resources Corp. Minsud is a mineral exploration company focused on exploring its flagship Chita Valley Cu-Mo-Au-Ag-Pb-Zn Project, in the Province of San Juan, Argentina. The Company's shares are listed on the TSX-V under the trading symbol "MSR", and on the OTCQX under the symbol "MDSQF". Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Minsud Resources Corp. View original content: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
