None of what we do at Sumter Item can happen without your trust

I'd like to welcome you to this edition of The Sumter Item Impact.

I'm writing this from Orlando, Florida, and the 2025 America's Newspapers Mega-Conference. It's a place where local media leaders come together annually to discuss challenges and opportunities, and while there are some similarities among the gathering, there are also differences because of the sizes of the organizations and communities, the leadership structures, community support and so on.

Trust is a word that's used here a lot. A recent study that's commonly brought up showed that, while trust in national media is at a low point, trust in local media has remained or grown in the last few months and years.

That's not a surprise to me. I see it in Sumter in the trust our audience has for The Item.

To me, trust isn't about being perfect. It's not about covering every story, getting every sentence structure right or equally reporting on different aspects of our community.

Trust comes from knowing our reporters, seeing our team in the community and understanding that we're driven to make our communities better, just like you are.

You can trust The Item because you know us. Our staff represents various aspects of what makes Sumter the place it is.

When I moved to Sumter in 2017, one of my first memories is seeing the local delegation from the Statehouse, Democrats and Republicans alike, proudly referring to themselves as Team Sumter. Even with political differences, they were aligned in making moves to make our communities better.

That's always resonated with me, and the cohesion - quite startling compared to other communities where I've lived - largely continues today.

The Item plays a large role in the betterment of Sumter as well. Our staff highlights issues that emerge and holds conversations that need to be had. We celebrate accomplishments of our neighbors and promote the local businesses that help make our communities thrive.

Having come to these conferences for more than a decade, it's not lost on me that they're smaller than before.

Local communities are losing local newspapers at a rapid rate, reportedly averaging two closures per week. Communities similar to Sumter having an independent local newspaper are becoming more of the exception rather than the rule.

With that said, I have a strong belief in our staff's ability to adapt, transform and innovate to better serve our residents. I have a strong belief in our residents and the value they hold in The Item, both for informing themselves and the protection of the larger community.

Seeing what's happening elsewhere is a warning, but it's not a statement of conclusion. We can be different, an improving local community with a strong, independent local news source playing an important role.

But none of this can happen without trust, and I'm thankful for the trust the community continues to hold in The Item.

Vince Johnson is publisher of The Sumter Item.