Today’s news that The Blade may print its final edition at the end of this year was heartbreaking to read. For nearly 200 years, The Blade has been the paper of record for our region, and our organization has been the beneficiary of The Blade’s work for many years. Its reporters have shown up time and again to tell the story of what’s happening in our local film community, from festival weekends, to premieres, to covering the major productions that made Toledo their cinematic backdrop. That kind of sustained, attentive local coverage can’t easily be replaced.
There’s a sad bit of irony in this news landing the day before NBC’s The Paper – a show about a fictional, dying newspaper, set right here in the Glass City – returns for its second season. Toledo has spent the last year rooting for the underdogs facing a fictional version of what our city is now facing for real. We hope that irony isn’t lost on anyone, and that it might even help bring attention to what’s actually at stake here.
Local journalism and local film both depend on people believing a community’s stories are worth telling. We’re hopeful that a buyer may step forward at the last minute, but we’re also ready to support the many independent journalists and storytellers whose work continues to shape our community. The story of Toledo will, and must, go on.
Michael DeSanto
Executive Director
FilmToledo