It’s about trust. Our relationship with our readers is built on transparency, honesty and integrity. As such, we have launched a trust initiative to tell you who we are and how and why we do what we do. This column is part of that project.

World News Day happens on Sept. 28.

Journalists around the globe are coming together to celebrate the importance of providing credible and reliable news.

As we have been reporting daily on COVID-19 in our community, the thirst for the reliable news we provide has never been more in demand and our metrics confirm we are delivering more news to more people than ever before in our history.

We have a team of seven seasoned journalists working at The Parry Sound North Star and ParrySound.com, helping you make sense of the rapidly changing world around you.

Reporter Sarah Bissonette has been telling your stories in the North Star pages for 17 years and her family goes back generations in Parry Sound. Her beat, covering court, health and education, has been particularly important since the pandemic began. In a recent story she chronicled the actions of a local restaurant after one of their employees tested positive.

The story allowed the owner of the restaurant to share what happened to a larger group of people so the community understood and didn’t share hearsay.

Particularly in difficult times like these, responsible journalism helps our community work together and face the challenges of the day.

Reporter Stephannie Johnson has also been on the ground in Parry Sound, writing the stories you want and need, for 17 years. She opened up her heart to the community in a recent column about why wearing  face masks is so important to her and her immune-compromised son.

“Amid COVID-19 and the ongoing debate of mask-wearing, I wanted to show a personal perspective on the issue; my son with a chronic illness and how a simple mask could save his life,” she said. “Exposing myself as a person within the community, with a family, I felt may give people more pause to consider the issue from a different viewpoint.”

This kind of brave honesty is always at the heart of Johnson’s coverage and she really shines when she is able to bring this heart to stories of the lives of our community members.

Dave Opavsky is the editor of Parry Sound Life and he says one of the joys of producing this magazine seven times a year is seeing how far the impact of Parry Sound/Georgian Bay reaches. Through its stories, Parry Sound Life highlights natural wonders, attractions, talented artisans and welcoming communities – all elements that draw visitors, lure cottagers and makes Parry Sounders proud to call the area home.

These are stories worth writing and worth reading. Evidence that local news, your news, really does matter.

Pamela Steel is the managing editor for The Parry Sound North Star and ParrySound.com and part of our trust committee. Reach her at psteel@metroland.com.