In the past few years, I’ve heard the word “community” in reference to Lincoln County so many times it almost sounds like a cliche. The idea of community is one that people often throw out as an all-encapsulating term for a place where neighbors care for each other, people say “good morning” when they pass on a sidewalk, and town events still draw out a crowd.
Admittedly, I’ve had moments where the constant use of the word “community” has driven me crazy. Yet after thinking about it, on the eve of my departure from Lincoln County, I realized that here, community isn’t a cliche. It’s a real, tangible aspect of life in this region that sustains us all.
I wrote my college application essay about the confidence and skills I acquired from my internship at this newspaper over the past three summers, but also about the value of a local newspaper, and how local news can actually help to create community.
Most communities nationwide don’t have an equivalent to The Lincoln County News. According to a study by researchers at Northwestern University titled “The State of Local News-2023,” roughly a third of all American newspapers have closed since 2005. This means that in all those counties, there is no guaranteed source of local news.
This phenomenon is called news desertification. In news deserts around America, residents are forced to rely on social media and national news, and often lack a reliable way to find out about what is occurring in their communities beyond their social circles. When residents are uninformed about local events they are less likely to go out and engage with their community.
In these tumultuous, divided times, I am grateful to have grown up in a place where having a strong community is valued. I love living somewhere where people want to help each other, where annual events and traditions continue to take place.
Many of the mentor figures in my life have discussed the idea that community is difficult to build but easy to tear apart. While I don’t disagree with this ethos, to me, fostering a shared sense of community doesn’t always have to be complex.
We can all take simple actions to show others that they matter. Something as small as holding the door open for someone, waving when a car stops at a crosswalk, or engaging in conversation with someone about a shared interest can start building community.
Being a summer reporter for The Lincoln County News has exposed me to the depth of what our community has to offer. In addition to conquering my fears of cold-calling strangers and absorbing the nuances of AP style, I have learned how every person in a community can make a difference and have an impact.
I hope Lincoln County continues to evolve, and that it preserves the essence of community that I have grown to love, and that The Lincoln County News is one way this community continues to be nurtured.
(Dylan Burmeister, of Nobleboro, is a 2025 graduate of Lincoln Academy. A 2025 Maine Press Association scholarship winner, she has worked as a seasonal intern at The Lincoln County News since 2023. She is preparing to continue her academic and athletic career at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass., where she will study English and history.)
