Congratulations to The Echo for 40 years of providing our community with independent review and scrutiny and information that enhances community engagement and resilience. The Echo has played a vital role in shaping the identity of Byron Shire.
The Grattan Institute report, For the People – Future-proofing Australia’s democracy notes, ‘we must protect our public sphere – where Australians inform themselves and engage in the contest of ideas – by ensuring the sustainability of our news media and investing in institutions that produce trusted information’.
While many engage with the online world and gain advice, opinion and motivation, let’s not forget that there are no accountable mechanisms governing it, unlike news media. Be alert to how the algorithmic magic can present views that are skewed to your personal bias rather than providing balance and analysis.
For our local independent media to stay strong and continue to focus on our community, it needs community support.
I do a voluntary subscription to support a free paper that focuses on local issues, delivering the views, insights and accountability and importantly, the musings of my community. Often what’s revealed can be annoying or perceived as being misinformed, but we learn from it.
Please consider signing up to support The Echo, our democracy would suffer if it didn’t exist.
Jan Barham, Broken Head
(Former mayor and NSW MLC)
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
