The Times and Democrat has been the principal source of news for Orangeburg, Calhoun and Bamberg counties for more than 141 years.
Consider that The T&D was born in 1881 in the continuing turbulence of the post-Civil War era. Consider just a sampling of the news and events it has chronicled since:
The Times and Democrat was around when the Battle of Wounded Knee, the last significant battle between U.S. soldiers and Indians, was fought in 1890. The T&D was around when the United States began digging the Panama Canal in 1903. And five years later, when Henry Ford introduced the Model T car priced at $850.
It kept people abreast of World War I and told readers when President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the New Deal following the Great Depression. World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam followed, along with turbulent change.
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The Orangeburg Massacre in 1968 put the newspaper squarely in the middle of the civil rights era. The '80s brought Ronald Reagan and shuttles. The '90s brought the Internet and the countdown to Y2K.
The 21st century brought an information age unlike any other, with the newspaper again a leader in adapting to technology and changing ways of delivering the news. It is a mission we celebrate during this National Newspaper Week, which is a time to shine more light on what we are today and into the future.
Since 2002, The T&D has been part of Lee Enterprises, a publicly traded media company that publishes 75 daily newspapers in 26 states, and more than 350 weekly, classified and specialty publications. Lee Enterprises was founded in 1890 by Alfred Wilson Lee and is based in Davenport, Iowa.
The two decades in Lee have brought changes in technology that revolutionized The T&D’s ability to reach audiences. We are today a complete digital agency, providing audience solutions that go far beyond the traditional newspaper. While still printing on our press in Orangeburg the print edition seven days a week, The Times and Democrat through its website TheTandD.com, but more importantly through its Amplified Digital Agency and the resources in Lee Enterprises, can now reach bigger audiences and highly specific targeted audiences. Video has expanded audience engagement, and breaking news is pushed out of The T&D newsroom all day every day.
Lee Enterprises is committed to being the primary source of local news in all its communities and operates its newspapers accordingly. In Orangeburg, the focus on local news is the mission of The T&D.
You’ve seen The Times and Democrat’s promotions in the print and online editions urging you to sign on as a member to get all that the newspaper has to offer. We’ve offered specials and unique benefits. We’ve told you how important it is in keeping the community informed that local journalism not only survive but prosper. Your support for the work that local reporters do is vital.
This National Newspaper Week is a good time to point out just how important the local newspaper is to an informed community.
Some say newspapers won’t be around eventually in the information age. They are wrong. There is a need more than ever for local journalists devoted to gathering credible local news. The way that news is presented continues to evolve, but it is important to people no matter how they receive the news.
You can subscribe to The Times and Democrat and TheTandD.com by calling 803-533-516-6107 or by visiting our website and clicking on “Become a member.”