We understand the importance of transparency in the media. When we describe ourselves as “independent,” we are using the term in its constitutional sense rather than as a claim of ideological neutrality. The First Amendment of the U.S Constitution protects the press as an institution free from government licensing, prior restraint, and political control. Article I, Section 4 of the Illinois Constitution provides that “All persons may speak, write and publish freely, being responsible for the abuse of that liberty.” The American constitutional tradition does not require the press to be worldview-neutral; it requires that it be free from state coercion and accountable for what it publishes. Independence, in that framework, refers to structural and institutional autonomy, not the absence of perspective.  When we say we are independent, we mean that we are not affiliated with or directed by a political party, PAC, or national media conglomerate. Editorial decisions are made locally and internally. That does not mean we operate without editorial judgment; no newsroom does. It means our judgment is not dictated by institutional political authority. Readers are, of course, free to evaluate our coverage and draw their own conclusions about where it aligns philosophically.

In the founding era, journalism was often explicitly argumentative and moral in tone. Newspapers regularly printed sermons alongside legislative proceedings, shipping notices, and foreign correspondence. Election sermons were preached and then widely printed as pamphlets for public distribution. Clergymen such as Jonathan Mayhew and Samuel West delivered sermons addressing civil authority, resistance, and liberty, which circulated in print as part of the political discourse of the day. The Sons of Liberty re-printed and distributed sermons from John Wise, which quickly became essential reading for those advocating for greater autonomy and, eventually, independence.  This blending of moral reasoning and reporting was not seen as disqualifying journalism; it was part of the ecosystem of a free republic. A “free press” meant a press free from governmental control, not a press stripped of conviction.

The Name of our publication, "Yorkville Herald," has meaning. The word herald has both historical and biblical roots. Historically, a herald in civil society announced decrees, events, and matters of public importance. In adopting the name “Herald,” we are identifying with that function. We openly make proclamations along with civic reporting. In the New Testament, the word for herald is κήρυξ (kērux), a public messenger authorized to proclaim announcements on behalf of a king or authority. The related verb κηρύσσω (kērussō) means “to proclaim” or “to announce publicly.” In the biblical sense, a herald was not an originator of truth but a messenger tasked with faithfully delivering it.

Yorkville Herald maintains structural independence, and we allow our work to speak for itself. 

• Michael Krempski