The Scioto County Commissioners honored late SCDN contributor Tina Jenkins and all local news providers at today’s Commissioners Meeting.
The Commissioners passed a resolution to declare February 1st “Local News Appreciation Day” in Scioto County.
According to the resolution, “The importance of local news and its role in providing critical information to residents of Scioto County, Ohio, cannot be overstated. The residents of Scioto County, Ohio, are encouraged to take this opportunity to recognize and appreciate the important role of local news organizations, journalists, and correspondents in their community.”
Further, the commissioners singled out Tina Jenkins, who passed yesterday after a battle with cancer, “Tina L Jenkins has made a significant impact in the field of local news in Scioto County, Ohio, and has demonstrated a commitment to providing accurate, fair, and comprehensive reporting.”
Commissioner Scottie Powell said local news organizations were critical for getting important information to the public. “People just don’t know what we’re doing. We hear things like, ‘Things aren’t happening.’ But they are; there’s stuff happening all the time.” He said local reporting was crucial for people to understand what projects were happening. “These organizations can hopefully get the message out.”
Powell said commissioners had hired a community development person to not only work on development but to take care of press releases to keep everyone informed on all of the positive things going on in the community. “To those who are still in local news, and unfortunately, it’s a declining number, thank you.”
Commissioner Cathy Coleman offered condolences to Tina Jenkins’ family, friends, and coworkers.
Commissioners unanimously approved the motion.
Scioto County Daily News Publisher Mark Craycraft thanked the commissioners, saying he had profound gratitude for commissioners passing the resolution “in honor of our dear friend, Tina Jenkins. Your recognition of the vital role that local news organizations, journalists, and correspondents play in our community is greatly appreciated and much needed.”
Craycraft said Tina would have wanted the day to honor all of her local news colleagues, no matter which outlet they worked for.