Every once in a while someone comes up to me and says, "Hey, why didn't the Hungry Horse News do that story?"

When I say, "We did do that story - about a month ago," they reply, "Oh, I didn't read the paper."

Actually, as it turns out, these people didn't even subscribe to the paper. Some people figure they'll just read everything online, so why subscribe?

To start out with, let's just say, "It's dirt cheap." The Hungry Horse News will be delivered to anyone in Flathead County for $37 a year. That's about half a tank of gas for pickups and big SUVs, or one night out at a decent restaurant. It's 70 cents a week.

Don't get me wrong - people should go out to local restaurants and enjoy a good night out on the town. But they should also subscribe to their local newspaper.

Why? The coupons in a newspaper over the course of a year alone are worth a lot more than the cost of a subscription. They could be worth $150 or more. And the information from advertisers could save subscribers a lot more money.

Let me also take the high road - subscribing helps newspapers, and newspapers promote democracy. Why do you think they're protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution? Newspapers keep the public informed, and informed people make good decisions about government, and good government is what everyone wants, right?

If this sounds like an advertisement rather than an editorial, maybe so. It didn't start out that way. It was a reaction to a perplexing and frustrating problem - how can people comment on current events if they don't read the news?

Richard Hanners is the editor of the Hungry Horse News.