This newspaper's front page was left blank to show readers how much they would miss local news reports

No news isn't always good news. (The Associated Press photo)

Sometimes, less is more, and other times, saying nothing says a lot. A local paper in Marblehead, Massachusetts, took the latter to heart. "The non-profit published and delivered its weekly free broadsheet . . . with a surprise twist: under the newspaper's masthead, the front page was completely blank," reports the Connecting newsletter, which reports on activities involving The Associated Press and its current and former employees. "The 11/1 edition of the Marblehead Current ran with a blank front page, demonstrating the importance of supporting local non-profit news."

Current founder and co-chairman Ed Bell, who retired as chief of the Boston bureau of the Associated Press after 50 years in print and broadcast news, said, "As a guy who has ink running through my blood, publishing a blank page of newsprint wasn't easy. But it's time to make the point of how urgent it is that we support local journalism."

The blank front page marks the beginning of the newspaper's fundraising effort, which runs through Dec. 31.

This photo is part of the Current's "Cuzner in Nature"
feature. Rick Cuzner is a local photographer.

Should readers zip over to the Current's website, they don't find a blank page. Instead, they find a robust local paper with civic news, vibrant local happenings, and even a local photo of a rare short-eared owl, an endangered species in the state, at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

Virginia Buckingham, president of the board of the Marblehead News Group, which publishes the Current, supported the blank-page surprise. She said: "Two newspapers close every week in this country on average. It's a tough time for community news, but there's hope. The non-profit model can reverse the negative trend, but only if people support us with donations, much like they do non-profit TV and radio stations."