When Advance Publications broke the news Thursday The Birmingham News, The Mobile Press-Register and Huntsville Times would become weekly newspapers this fall, we were as shocked as we’re sure most of you were.

When the three largest circulation newspapers in the state cut distribution days in print from seven to three, it gives the impression newspapers, at least in print, are in trouble.

We can assure you from our perspective nothing could be farther from the truth, especially when you cull this comment from Advance’s press release on their decision: “The three newspapers also plan to expand their reporting resources to provide more focus on local news… In Birmingham and Mobile, the company will expand those newspapers’ hyper-local zones.”

Hyper-local is a catch phrase we’ve seen used more and more by newspapers across the country as they seek to redefine the type and quality of information they deliver to readers. Our niche, since our beginning, has always been hyper-local. In other words, The Selma Times-Journal was hyper-local before hyper-local became “cool.”

What makes Advance’s “Titanic” shift more interesting, and confusing, was the other print media news that broke just last week — Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway’s purchase of most of the newspapers belonging to Media General, Inc., including Alabama newspapers The Dothan Eagle, Opelika-Auburn News, Eufaula Tribune and Enterprise Ledger.

Buffet, one of the richest people in the world, made his billions by seeking out and buying quality companies and assets he felt had a lot of upside potential.

Buffet told his shareholders in May he was going to spend more money on newspapers because he still views them as the primary source for local information. “In towns and cities where there is a strong sense of community, there is no more important institution than the local paper,” Buffet said. He also said even though [newspapers] face competition from the Internet, they will have a decent future if they continue delivering information that can’t be found elsewhere and stop offering news free online.

So who’s right? Only time will tell, but what we can tell you is our commitment has never wavered.

We’re proud to be Selma and Dallas County’s source for local news and we will continue to provide it in print format daily, delivered each morning to your home, just as we have for decades.

And to give you one last piece of interesting news — once The Mobile Press-Register goes weekly in print, The Selma Times-Journal, your hometown daily newspaper, will become the oldest daily newspaper in the state of Alabama. Yet another reason to be proud of this place we all call home.